GME Notes with Sadness the Recent Passing of Stanley Crouch

GME Notes with Sadness the Recent Passing of Stanley Crouch

A prolific author, essayist, columnist and social critic, Crouch challenged conventional thinking on race and helped found Jazz at Lincoln Center. He proclaimed himself a “radical pragmatist,” defining it this way:

“I affirm whatever I think has the best chance of working, of being both inspirational and unsentimental, of reasoning across the categories of false division and beyond the decoy of race.”

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Common to Perform at Democratic National Convention

Common to Perform at Democratic National Convention

Common, as depicted in this photo by Hugh Bell, is among the list of performers that will appear this week at the Democratic National Convention.

GME is also happy to share some of it’s images of historical Democratic party icons as photographed by Raimondo Borea.

GME is also pleased to present a rare audio recording during John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, which comes from GME’s archive of original campaign commercials for television and radio.

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GME Sends Out Belated Birthday Wishes for James Baldwin on his 96th Birthday

GME Sends Out Belated Birthday Wishes for James Baldwin on his 96th Birthday

James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist. His essays explore intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western society, most notably in regard to the mid-twentieth-century United States.

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"A Day in the Night of Hugh Downs”: Photo Essay by Raimondo Borea

"A Day in the Night of Hugh Downs”:  Photo Essay by Raimondo Borea

Gartenberg Media Enterprises (GME) is honored to memorialize the passing last week of entertainment giant Hugh Downs by presenting a rare visual essay, “A Day in the Night of Hugh Downs,” photographed by Raimondo Borea. Hugh Downs was a regular television presence from the 1940’s through the 1990’s. He was an announcer for Tonight Starring Jack Paar from 1957 to 1962, co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from 1978 to 1999.

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RECENT LANDMARK SUPREME COURT RULING & HUGH BELL’S LGBT PHOTOGRAPHS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

RECENT LANDMARK SUPREME COURT RULING & HUGH BELL’S LGBT PHOTOGRAPHS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

The recent landmark Supreme Court decision guaranteeing employment protection on a Federal level for the LGBTQ community underscores the contemporary relevance of a selection of photographs of African American gay and lesbians (pictured above and below), which were taken decades ago by photographer Hugh Bell (1927-2012).

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Iconic Sarah Vaughan Photo by Hugh Bell to be Included in Forthcoming Exhibition at the University of Minnesota Katherine E. Nash Gallery

Iconic Sarah Vaughan Photo by Hugh Bell to be Included in Forthcoming Exhibition at the University of Minnesota Katherine E. Nash Gallery

Over the past several years, Gartenberg Media Enterprises (GME) has worked diligently to further the legacy of talented African-American artist Hugh Bell, whose photography career began in the early 1950s. We are pleased to announce that the Katherine E. Nash Gallery at the Department of Art, University of Minnesota, will feature Hugh Bell’s work in their forthcoming exhibition projected for September of 2021, entitled “ A Picture Gallery of the Soul,” which will celebrate the work of African American photographers. The gallery, situated on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, also promotes art as a means to address the issues of social justice, especially relevant because of the murder of George Floyd in that city.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture Acquires Hugh Bell Photographs

National Museum of African American History and Culture Acquires Hugh Bell Photographs

As Black History Month draws to a close, Gartenberg Media Enterprises (GME) is pleased to announce that the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has acquired six lifetime silver gelatin prints from the Hugh Bell archive for their permanent collection. Says GME Fine Arts Curator David Deitch, “In preserving the legacy of an artist, there is nothing more gratifying than the prestige that comes from a museum acquiring his work. We are especially pleased that NMAAHC, the premiere international institution dedicated to the history, culture and artistic achievements of the African American community, recognizes the significance of Hugh Bell ‘s photographs within this context.”

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Raimondo Borea Photograph of Kenneth B. Clark on Permanent Display at New York State Museum

Raimondo Borea Photograph of Kenneth B. Clark on Permanent Display at New York State Museum

Recently, Raimondo Borea’s iconic photograph of educator Kenneth B. Clark has been placed on permanent display as part of a wall text at the entry to the Kenneth B. Clark Auditorium at the New York State Museum in Albany.

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