This solo exhibition features a selection of photographs by Donald Andrew Agarrat, whose passionate eye captured the complex beauty of Harlem and its inhabitants, the black LGBT community, and New York City. Ranging from portraits to street scenes, Agarrat’s thoughtful focus sought to engage that beauty largely, although not exclusively, through his trademark black-and-white style.
Based in New York City, Agarrat (1970–2013) participated in group exhibitions and projects at the Studio Museum of Harlem, art in harlem, and the Jen Beckman Gallery in the Bowery. He was also the official photographer of the “Ordinary People” series of the In the Life Archive (ITLA) at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The ITLA project was created at the Schomburg Center in 2004 to aid in the preservation of cultural materials produced by and about SGL/LGBT people of African descent.
Curated by Steven G. Fullwood, Lynne d. Johnson, and Gordon Easley, with assistance from Miranda Tarisa-Mims, Christopher Stahling, and Ladi’Sasha Jones.