Have you ever heard of famed director/photographer/writer Gordon Parks?

This year, Macy’s, as part of its tradition of honoring influential members of the African American community with special events at local stores, is celebrating Gordon Parks, by commemorating his 100th birthday. The in-store special events will celebrate the life of Gordon Parks with iconic images highlighting some of his most beloved works.

I will be honest, I was not familiar with Gordon Parks until recently.  As I did some research into the work of Gordon Parks though,  I became intrigued. Maybe it was because of his humanitarian roots, or maybe it was because I am becoming more and more interested in developing my own photography skills (though I am pretty sure that even if I do eventually own and learn how to use a DSLR, my images will have no where near the same impact).   His works were featured in Life Magazine and Vogue, just to name a few. Most importantly, his work chronicled social conditions with emphasis on race relations, poverty, Civil Rights and urban life.

Some of my favorite photographs by Gordon Parks are (thanks to the Gordon Parks Foundation for the archives of images)

Mother and Child, Blind River, Ontario, 1955

Shepard Boy with Sheep, Estoril, Portugal, Estoril, 1950

Mother Watches Over Sick Child, Yellowknife, Canada, 1945

The Washington DC  in-store celebration on February 21st in DC, at Macy’s Metro Center on the lower level Furniture Gallery at 5:30 pm will feature a spirited  conversation with special guests, actors Malik Yoba & Lamman Rucker  on Gordon Park’s influence on film and the future of African American cinema. For other locations around the country see the complete listings.

Some other upcoming events are:

2/21 – Pittsburgh, PA
Macy’s Downtown Pittsburgh Main Floor, 5 pm
Special Guest: actors Terrell Tilford, Malinda Williams & Joseph Lewis *RSVP for this event at 888-622-9769

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