Artist's Statement
My work is a reflection of the relationships people have with themselves and with each other. My images not only reflect life, but my participation in life as well. I portray photographic images of great emotion by perfecting the art of drawing little attention to myself as I capture people engaged in activities that are important in their lives.
EXPERIENCE
| TITLE | DATE | VENUE |
| Come Dance with Me | September 2004 | 121st Street, New York, NY |
| The Remember Project | December 2003 | |
| The Joy of Dance | September 2003 | Uptown Dance Academy, NY |
| ? | September 2002 | Spectrum Personal Communications Corp., NY |
| African Dance in Slow Motion | June – July 2002 | En Foco Touring Gallery exhibition at John Jay Gallery, NY |
| Into the Eyes of Children | September – October 2001 | MetLife Harlem Financial Center, NY |
| Drumming and Dancing in New York City | January – February 2001 | SUNY Rockland Community College, NY |
| African Dance in Slow Motion | December 2000 | Countee Cullen Regional Library, NY |
| Celebrating Motherhood: Capture the Glow The Art of Maternity Photography |
November 2000 | MetLife Harlem Financial Services Center, NY |
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| TITLE | DATE | SPONSORED BY | DESCRIPTION | |
| Images of Color | February 2006 | New York Health and Hospitals Corporation |
Black History Month 2006 | |
| The Best of the Bronx | October 15, 2005 –January10, 2006 | Krasdale Art Gallery, NY |
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| Resurrections | October 10–12, 2005 | Latin Collector Gallery, NY |
A photography exhibit and auction to aid Katrina relief efforts | |
| Submerge | August 6, 2005 | Harlem River/Hudson River North Marine Station & Ecology Center, NY |
Art & Environmental Festival | |
| Speaking of the Bronx: Blurred Boundaries | June 22, 2005 | Borough President’s Art Gallery, NY |
Produced by Bronx Tourism Council in association with Bronx Council on the Arts | |
| December 18, 2004 – March 6, 2005 | Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH |
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| In the Blink of an Eye | February 16, 2005 | African-American Photography Alumni Exhibition, NY |
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| Speaking of the Bronx: Blurred Boundaries | December 10, 2005 –February 10, 2005 | Bronx, NY |
A preview exhibition in honor of Congressman José E. Serrano’s 30th Year in Public Life | |
| September 9, 2004 – October 24, 2004 | Barbican Art Galleries, London, England |
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| April 17, 2004 – July4, 2004 | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco |
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| February 1, 2004 – February 29, 2004 | Grace Worship Arts Center, NY |
Photography exhibit in celebration of Black History Month | ||
| LLA NOITCARTSBA | November 16, 2003 | Brooklyn, NY |
An all abstract art exhibit | |
| Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuto | July 10, 2003 – September 28, 2003 | New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY |
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| This is Lagos | July 17, 2003 – September 13, 2003 | Skoto Gallery, NY |
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| May 17, 2003 | Rush Arts Gallery, NY |
1st Annual Rush Arts Gallery Benefit Auction | ||
| March 30, 2003 | Mel Wright’s Studio, NY |
Print sale and house warming | ||
| January 30, 2003 – February 2, 2003 | Dell Pryor Gallery, NY |
The National Black Arts Show | ||
| January 2003 | New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY |
Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti | ||
| Fantasy: From the Sensual to the Erotic | November 17, 2002 – December 29, 2002 | Danny Simmons’ Corridor Gallery, NY |
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| A Taste of Harlem in Tribeca | October 7, 2002 | LAFCO, NY |
A fundraising event for Heritage Health and Housing, Inc. | |
| Portraits and Conversations: September 11, 2001 | August 26, 2002 – September 21, 2002 | Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, NY |
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| Eye on Photography | May 5, 2002 – June 9, 2002 | |||
| Up from the Gullah | May 18, 2002 | The Underground Railroad Museum |
Benefit Concert | |
| Up from the Gullah | February 1, 2002 – March 17, 2002 | MetLife Harlem Financial Service Center, NY |
Exhibition dedicated to the Penn Center and the people of St. Helena Island | |
| Bound Together by Common Threads | November 8, 2001 – January 31, 2002 | York W. Bailey Museum, NY |
19th Heritage Days Celebration Exhibit | |
| A Journey through the African and African-American Diaspora | February 1, 2001 – February 28, 2001 | The Countee Cullen Regional Branch Library, NY |
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| Committed to the Image: A Half Century of Black Photographers in America | February 2001 | Brooklyn Museum of Art, NY |
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| Celebrating the Spirit of Nigeria | October 1, 1999 – October 30, 1999 | The Countee Cullen Regional Branch Library, NY |
Photographs from 19791984 | |
| Scrapbook: A Journey Through the Lens | January 20, 1996 | International Agency for Minority Artist Affairs, NY |
Exhibition opening and reception were video taped for documentation and edited for public access cable | |
| A Moment’s Pause | 2002 | Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art, NJ |
The Aljira Fine Art Auction 2002 | |
| 2002 | Professional Women Photographers, NY |
Life: In and Out of Balance Contest | ||
| Fela Kuti (Shrine, Lagos) | 1982 | artnet.com |
Internet auction |
OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE
| 1979-84 Freelance photographer Nigeria, West Africa | |
| 1982-84 Stringer for Associated Press | |
| 1978 Operation Crossroads Ghana |
AWARD & DISTINCTIONS
| December 2005 | B&W Single Image Award | Black & White Magazine, CA | Angels on the Beach |
| October 2005 | JP Morgan Chase Arts in Education Grant | Bronx Council on the Arts | Portraits of Successful Photography |
| September 2005 | Commendation | José E. Serrano, Member of Congress, U.S. Congress, House of Representatives | Photographic coverage of the relief efforts in the Gulf States following Hurricane Katrina |
| June 2005 | BRIO Award | Bronx Council on the Arts | Spirituality in White |
| February 2005 | Certificate of Appreciation | Los Angeles City College (LACC) Media Arts and LACC Foundation | In the Blink of an Eye |
| January 2005 | Commendation | José E. Serrano, Member of Congress, U.S. Congress, House of Representatives | Speaking of the Bronx: Blurred Boundarids |
| December 2004 | 2004-2005 Community Arts Grant | Bronx Council on the Arts | Speaking of the Bronx: Blurred Boundarids |
| March 2004 | JP Morgan Chase Arts in Education Grant | Bronx Council on the Arts | Images Facing Ourselves |
| June 2003 | New York Rockefeller Award Grant | Harlem Arts Alliance | |
| February 2003 | African-American Heritage Month Award | Soundview HealthCare Network | Portraits and Conversations 9/11 |
| May 2002 | Honorable mention | The Beaufort Gazette | Up From the Gullah |
| March 2002 | Honorable mention | The New York Beacon | Up From the Gullah |
| 2002 | Curator of Art | Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery | Fantasy: From the Sensual to the Erotic |
| June 2000 | 2000 Manhattan Community Arts Fund Grant | Lower Manhattan Cultural Council | |
| March 2000 | Commendation | Consulate General of Nigeria | Historic exhibition of Nigerian pictures (1979-1984) at Countee Cullen Library, Harlem, NY |
| May 1999 | Grand prize for LACC’s 70th anniversary Photo Contest | Eastman Kodak Company | ? |
| October 1995 | Ronald McDonald House Spirit of Children Photography Contest | Ronald McDonald House Hematology Oncology Support Services, Inc. | ? |
| February 1982 | Commendation | Associated Press | Photographic coverage of the Pope’s visit to Nigeria |
| June 1981 | Merit award for performance in C.E.D.U.S.T. Photographic Competition | Nigerian Embassy in France | ? |
| October 1980 | 1979 Earl Theisen Memorial Award | LACC | The Track |
| April 1980 | Special invitation to participate in Easter Holiday Panorama | The National Museum Onikan Lagos | ? |
| May 1979 | First place medallion, honors of achievement | East Los Angeles College “Black & White Open” Photography Competition | ? |
| January 1979 | Expression of Gratitude | Operation Crossroads Africa, Inc. | Photographic contributions to Operation Crossroads brochure |
| Fall 1976 | Dean’s Honor List | LACC |
PUBLICATIONS
| DATE | SUBJECT | PUBLICATION |
| July 2003 | Fela: From West Africa to West Broadway | Palgrave |
| January 2003 | Fela: From West Africa to West Broadway | Palgrave |
| April 2001 | Photo credit, Community leaders honored | Bronx News |
| August 1987 | Photo credit, Twins born to Howard and Yvette Cash | Big Red News |
| May 1987 | Photo credit, Ethiopian Folk Dancers | Big Red News |
| September 1986 | Nigerian Art Exhibit | Amsterdam News |
| May 1985 | Photo credit, Story on Nigerian politics | Newswatch |
| May 1985 | Producer, “Art for Africa” benefiting Ethiopia and other African nations affected by drought | Big Red News |
| November 1984 | Photo credit, Batik artist | The Guardian |
| June 1984 | Photo credit, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s bid for U.S. Presidency | The Guardian |
| August 1983 | Photo credit, Story on crime | The Guardian |
| May 1983 | Photo credit, Story on aircraft in Lagos | The Guardian |
| February 1983 | Photo credit, Special Project | The Guardian |
| January 1983 | Photo credit, Nigeria’s expulsion of foreigners | International Herald Tribune |
| March 1982 | Photo credits | SkyPower, Nigerian In-flight Magazine |
| January 1982 | Nigerian textile work | Petersen’s Photographic Magazine |
| 1982 | Fela Kuti (Shrine, Lagos) | artnet.com |
| August 1981 | Photo credits | “Heaven Away from Heaven,” Lagos Hilton Hotel brochure |
| March 1981 | Photo credit, Health & Beauty | Ophelia Magazine |
| February 1981 | Photo credits, Miss Nationwide Television 1981 Pageant | Ophelia Magazine |
| January 1981 | Photo credits, Beauty pagent in Lagos | Sunday Concord |
| 1981 | Coverage of “Soul to Soul” African Concert | Africa Music |
| September–October 1980 | Photo credits, Pope’s visit to Zaire | Catholic Life |
| August 1980 | Photo credit, Nigerian dancers | National Concord |
| August 1980 | Photo credits | Crossroads brochure |
| May 1980 | Photo credit, Pope’s visit to Ghana | Concord Magazine |
| March 1977 | Photo credit, Los Angeles College meeting | Los Angeles Collegian |
| 1977 | Photo credit, Ethnic Student Movement | Los Angeles Collegian |
ORGANIZATIONS
| 2006 Houston Center for Photography Houston, TX | |
| 2003 Fulton Art Consortium Brooklyn, NY | |
| 2002 Harlem Arts Alliance Harlem, NY | |
| 2000 Image Griots Photographic Group Bronx, NY |
EDUCATION
| 1979 Los Angeles City College, California Los Angeles, CA Associate in Arts Degree.
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BORN
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| 1953 December 20 Harlem, NY | |