Larry Cook and Dr. Nicole Fleetwood in Conversation The Center for Black Visual Culture, the Department of Social & Cultural Analysis, and Tilt Institute are pleased to present a public conversation with artist Larry W. Cook and scholar and curator Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood, focusing on contemporary photographic practices among system-impacted artists on January 30 from 6:00 - 8:00 in Flex Space (4th Floor of 20 Cooper Square, New York, NY) Cook and Fleetwood will discuss how system-impacted photographers are generating new image cultures that exceed the limits of criminal index/surveillance strategies and their aesthetics: experimenting with self-representation, collaborating across distance and time, building personal and collective archives, and creating new visual languages of representation, refusal, and futurity. Together, they will reflect on how photography becomes a medium not only for survival and testimony, but also for re-imagining identity, kinship, and belonging.Wherever There Is Light is on display at the Cooper Square...

Wherever There is Light Exhibition Opening On January 29, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image (TILT) and Center for Black Visual Culture at the Institute of African American Affairs unveil Wherever There Is Light, an extraordinary traveling exhibition featuring the photography of four formerly incarcerated artists as they share their experiences within the United States penal system. Through emotional and powerful images, the exhibition explores the profound impact of mass incarceration on individuals, families, and communities. The show is curated by Dr. Melanee C. Harvey and is led by Washington, D.C.-based photographer Larry W. Cook. Exhibiting artists include José Díaz, Don “Ike” Jones, Vernon Ray, Akeil Robertson, and Larry Cook. Through digital photography, portraits, and vernacular photography, these artists share their personal stories and perspectives of the prison system, offering an intimate and powerful exploration of life within and beyond incarceration. They also explore themes that invite audiences to reflect, connect with...

International Students in Limbo Presented by the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU. Co-sponsored by the NYU Migration Network and NYU Center for Black Visual Culture. International students studying in the United States have found themselves in the cross-hairs of many current federal policies and strategies. A majority of international students hail from Asian nations, the rate of those arriving from Sub-Saharan Africa is growing at the fastest rate, and Latinx students make up more than half of those who are undocumented and now increasingly being treated as international, despite having lived in the United States for many years. From travel bans to visa revocations, punitive measures against campus protests and cuts in federal funding of research, recent actions have made the position of all these students quite precarious.      Of institutions with large shares of international students, NYU ranks amongst the highest. With approximately 44% of its student body made up of international students,...

“I Was There”: Stories from the Elders of the House/Ball Community Presented by The Hemispheric Institute at NYU. Co-sponsored by The Center for Black Visual Culture This evening summons past and present in an oral history listening session with Pioneers and living legends from the New York Ballroom Community. Confirmed Participants: Tommie LaBeija, La Duchess Wong, Egypt LaBeija, José Disla Xtravaganza, and Kevin Ultra Omni (virtual). The event will be moderated by Victor Ultra Omni (Emory). This is an in-person event that requires registration. All non-NYU attendees must RSVP in advance. Video documentation will be made available on the Institute website following the event.   RSVP Date:  September 18, 2025 Time:  6:00pm to 8:00pm Location: 5th Floor,20 Cooper Square, 5th floor, New York, NY 10003

Join the Center for Black Visual Culture as we welcome our Fall 2025 Artist-Scholar-in-Residence, dream hampton. dream hampton is an award-winning filmmaker and writer from Detroit. For three decades her essays and cultural criticism helped shape a generation. Her most recent works include the award winning short film “Freshwater” (NYT OpDocs/PBS, 2023) and “Ladies First” (Netflix, 2023). In 2019 she was showrunner and Executive Producer of the Emmy nominated docuseries, “Surviving R. Kelly” (Netflix), which broke ratings records and earned her a Peabody Award. That year she was named one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world. Register for the Event This welcome reception will feature remarks from the Center for Black Visual Culture and dream hampton. Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm EDT (23:00 - 00:30 BST) Location: 20 Cooper Square Room: 3rd Floor Lobby Cost: Free

Reflections in Black: A Reframing. The Center for Black Visual Culture and Tisch School of the Arts, Department of Photography & Imaging are pleased to announce Reflections in Black: A Reframing. Curated by Dr. Deborah Willis, this exhibition accompanies the release of the 25th anniversary edition of Willis’ internationally acclaimed publication Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present; the first comprehensive history of black photographers. Reflections in Black: A Reframing showcases the profound visual archive Black image makers have established since the late nineteenth century, and expands upon the publication’s first iteration originally published in 2000. Reflections in Black: A Reframing includes modern and original prints and extends Willis’s pioneering effort to reshape the narrative of American history, by centering the indisputable aesthetic, political, and cultural contributions of Black photographers from the 19th century to the present. Featured in the exhibition is The Missing Chapter: Black Chronicles,...