Join Donna Van Der Zee and Russell Lord, NRM’s Chief of Curatorial Affairs for a gallery talk about the art and life of legendary American photographer James Van Der Zee (1886-1983). Born in Lenox, MA, Van Der Zee is best known for his nuanced and dignified portrayals of Black life during the Harlem Renaissance. A selection of Van Der Zee’s work, including early photographs of his family that he made as a child living in the Berkshires are included in the exhibition American Stories: Revolution to Rockwell. Mrs. Van Der Zee and Russell Lord discuss the fascinating stories behind the photographs on view.

The program will also focus on the tireless efforts taken by the artist’s widow since his death to preserve the legacy and extraordinary work of her late husband.

Space is extremely limited. Please reserve your seat in advance.

Donna Mussenden Van Der Zee is the widow of James Van Der Zee, the legendary photographer of the Harlem Renaissance. For over forty years Donna has served as the guardian of James Van Der Zee’s archive and legacy. In 2021, she played an instrumental role in a landmark collaboration between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Studio Museum in Harlem to establish a permanent home for the archive at The Met.

Russell Lord is the Chief of Curatorial Affairs at Norman Rockwell Museum. An art historian, curator, educator, and writer with a career spanning almost three decades and work experience in six museums, Lord previously served as Director of Exhibitions and Curatorial Initiatives at the American Federation of Arts, and as the Freeman Family Curator of Photographs, Prints and Drawings at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA). He has written or edited more than a dozen publications, including Willie Birch: Stories to Tell , Looking Again: Photography at the New Orleans Museum of Art (2018), and Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument (2013).
For more information, visit https://www.nrm.org/events/james-van-der-zee-black-excellence-and-everyday-life/