Teenie Harris Photography Exhibit Opens at Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library

ATLANTA, Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teenie Harris, Photographer: An American Story exhibit, a groundbreaking retrospective of works by African American photographer Charles "Teenie" Harris (1908-1998), opens Thursday at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library. On loan from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art, the exhibit is making its premiere in the South and is sponsored by PNC Bank.

On display through May 24, 2013, Teenie Harris, Photographer: An American Story features selections of Harris's most striking and historically significant images. The photographs—made in his studio and for the Pittsburgh Courier—chronicle the Pittsburgh community throughout the Jim Crow and civil rights eras. Harris captured the poetry of everyday life of African Americans during the period and extraordinary people who shaped the 20th century, such as baseball star Jackie Robinson and leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.    

Complementing the exhibit is the Trezzvant Anderson: Roving Reporter and Jim Crow South archival display. Anderson and Harris were colleagues at the Pittsburgh Courier, with Anderson traveling throughout the southern states to report on civil rights activities in cities including Atlanta. Anderson's papers are available for research in the AUC Woodruff Library's Archives Research Center.

In conjunction with the exhibits, the AUC Woodruff Library is hosting a series of programs that are free and open to the public. Events include a lecture by leading historian of African American photography and 2000 MacArthur Fellow, Deborah Willis, an Atlanta Daily World photojournalist panel discussion, and a photography workshop for children. 

"The Teenie Harris exhibit offers visitors an engaging and unique experience. His work represents an intersection of art, culture and history. The stories and experiences his images convey are universal. They cut across cultures and backgrounds, allowing any viewer to connect with them," said Loretta Parham, CEO & Library Director. "I'm excited that our partnership with PNC Bank enabled us to bring this exhibit to the South for the first time, and I hope Atlantans take advantage of this historic opportunity."

"PNC has proudly sponsored the Teenie Harris exhibit in several cities within our footprint, and we are fortunate to work together with the Woodruff Library to offer this distinctive exhibition of works here in the Atlanta community," said Eddie Meyers, PNC Bank Regional President, Georgia.

Visit www.auctr.edu for exhibit hours and a full listing of programs or call 404-978-2003.

Teenie Harris, Photographer: An American Story has been organized by Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh. The exhibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Because democracy demands wisdom.

About the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library

The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library serves the collective research and information needs of Clark Atlanta University, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse College and Spelman College. A 21st century learning place, the Library features collaborative learning and study spaces, state-of-the-art technology, practice presentation studios, exhibition hall, a premier destination Archives Research Center and a cafe. Visit www.auctr.edu.

Media Contact:
Nicholyn Hutchinson/AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library
404-978-2114
[email protected]

SOURCE Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library