Lewis Watts facts for kids

Lewis Watts (born in 1946) is an American photographer, writer, and teacher. He is known for his amazing photos and for helping to preserve important historical pictures. He used to be a professor of art at the University of California, Santa Cruz (U.C. Santa Cruz), which means he taught art there for many years and is now a respected retired teacher.

About Lewis Watts

Lewis Watts was born in 1946 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned degrees in political science and also in photography and design. He taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of California, Berkeley, along with other schools, for over 40 years.

His Photography Style

Lewis Watts's work is inspired by history and by how people from the African diaspora are shown in art and photos. The African diaspora refers to people of African descent who live all over the world, outside of Africa. His photos often explore their stories and experiences.

Where His Art Is Shown

Watts's photographs have been shown in many famous places. His work is part of collections at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Oakland Museum of California. You can also find his art at the Cité de la Musique in Paris, France, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Lewis Watts has had many special art shows, called exhibitions, where people can see his photographs. Here are some of them:

• 2017 – Mining the Archive, Rena Bransten Gallery, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, California
• 2017 – Work from the Collection, Lewis Watts, Amistad Center of Art and Culture, Hartford, Connecticut
• 2015–2017 – New Orleans, Photographs by Lewis Watts, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California
• 2016 – FRANCAIS, Photographs by Lewis Watts, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California
• 1999 – Lifework Exhibit, Falkirk Cultural Center, San Rafael, California
• 1999 – Photography of Lewis Watts, Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
• 1999 – Lewis Watts, South to West Oakland, Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
• 1998–1999 – Urban Foot Prints: The Photography of Lewis Watts, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California

Film Projects

Lewis Watts has also worked on several films, mostly documentaries. A documentary is a movie that tells a true story or gives facts about a topic. He often served as an advisor, which means he helped the filmmakers with his knowledge and expertise.

• 2016 – Independent Lens (TV series, documentary advisor for 1 episode)
• 2015 – Dogtown Redemption (Documentary) (advisor)
• 2014 – Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People (Documentary)
• 1999 – Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco (advisor)