January 26 - June 16, 2018 (closed March 17-April 4)
An exploration and celebration of America's cultural heritage.
The photographs featured in Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection capture exuberant moments of performance, the ecstatic energy of enraptured audiences, as well as more intimate and reflective moments of well-known performers. The collection of photographs also provides insight into United States cultural history. The exhibition is comprised of 34 photographs that portray artists from varied genres in music and dance including legends from the uniquely American art forms of jazz and modern dance.
The photographs in this exhibition range from the 1920s into the 1980s and include images of some of the most iconic jazz performers: Miles Davis, John & Alice Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Eric Dolphy, Louis Armstrong, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. There are also images that feature members of local communities entertaining their neighbors and others yet highlighting the diverse audiences attending these performances and being swept into the energy provided by captivating performers.
Taken as a whole, the images hint at the power that our American art forms, and particularly jazz music, have played in uniting audiences and bridging communities.
The artworks on display are by 16 photographers who are as dynamic as their subjects: Aaron Siskind, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Arthur H. Fellig, Barbara Morgan, Chuck Stewart, Eduard Van Der Elsken, Edward Steichen, Gjon Mili, Gordon Parks, Jonas Dovydenas, Lisette Model, Marc Pokempner, Michael L. Abramson, Milton J. Hinton, Paul D’Amato, and William Gottlieb.
This exhibition is provided by Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities ® program.
About Bank of America’s Art in Our Communities
Through the Art in Our Communities® program, Bank of America has transformed its collection into a unique resource from which museums and nonprofit galleries may borrow complete or customized exhibitions at no cost. By providing these exhibitions and the support required to host them, this program helps enrich communities culturally and economically and generates vital revenue for institutions. Since its launch in late 2008, more than 120 exhibitions have been loaned to museums worldwide.
Image on exhibition listing: Chuck Stewart, Earl "Fatha" Hines, 1966, gelatin silver print. © Chuck Stewart, Courtesy of Chuck Stewart Photography, LLC/Fireball Entertainment Group.