PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH : Jamel Shabbaz

Just before I moved to NYC, I had an interview with Sallome Hrallima of Dope Swan who asked me what is my bucket list. One of my answers was to meet my favorite artists personally... a wish that has been coming true since. I've had the opportunity to meet and become friends with some of the most amazing artists of this city; it is truly what keeps me here. One of my favorite photographers/community activist/humanitarian JAMEL SHABAZZ was definitely a person I wanted to meet, and interestingly, it was via Dope Swan's A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN project that I had a chance to connect with him.

If anyone wants to get a feel for what Brooklyn is about, they should make sure to check Jamel's site and books...he has done to capture the spirit and the peoples of Brooklyn in photography what Spike Lee has done in film. Jamel is also a mentor and a community activist who has dedicated much of his life to help and educate the youth of Brooklyn and beyond. You can imagine how honored I was to receive this birthday message from him last month.

From his books "Back in the Days" and "Time Before Crack"
[it looks like while adidas lost a lot of its street presence, tights pants are back:)]

JAMEL SHABAZZ's work on display in NYC
Posing Beauty Photography Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: September 1- October 18, 2009

Media are invited to the closing reception and book signing on October 8, 2009 from 6-8 p.m.

The Department of Photography & Imaging in the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts has announced its first fall show will be Posing Beauty, an exhibition of approximately 80 works-including black and white, color, and digitized photographs; video installations; and web-based projects-drawn from public and private collections. The exhibition explores the contested ways in which African and African American beauty have been represented in historical and contemporary contexts in a diverse range of media. Read more about the exhibit here.

The exhibition will be on view in the Gulf + Western Gallery and in the 8th floor gallery of the Tisch School of the Arts Department of Photography & Imaging, located at 721 Broadway (at Waverly Place). Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays

BROOKLYN INFLUENCE :: A Great Day In Brooklyn

On view September 27, 2009 -November 7, 2009

Last summer I was part of Dope Swan's project A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN. We worked with Jamel Shabazz who documented through a series of photographs some of the makers of the Brooklyn Renaissance. You can read my post about it here. A year later, the photos can be finally viewed!


“Brooklyn Influence” commemorates the one year anniversary of “A Great Day in Brooklyn” and “Another Great Day in Brooklyn”, organized in June 2008 by Brooklyn-based community arts organization DOPE SWAN. Featuring the work of renowned documentarian Jamel Shabazz and visual storyteller Lafotographeuse, the exhibition doubles as a visual blueprint and photographic memoir of Brooklyn residents who eloquently merge the worlds of art, activism and entrepreneurship.

Proceeds benefit Brooklyn youth organization The Stoop

Corridor Gallery
334 Grand Ave, Brooklyn NY