Michele Meyers
In Motion Staff Writer
Sheila Pree Bright opened her artist’s lecture at the Southeast Museum of Photography with the provocative statement, “#1960Now started with Trayvon Martin,” referring to the infamous Florida shooting of the 17-year-old by George Zimmerman.
“I started looking at young people more and saying young people are the ones that are really going to change the room because it takes them to really start the revolution. I’m talking about globally,” said Bright.
The artist and activist passionately answered questions presented by interviewer India Pantin, a Daytona State College photography student. Pantin was chosen by the SMP’s director, James Pearson, to interview Bright for the #1960Now opening reception on Feb. 22.
“I was just eating my lunch in the museum and James approached me and said he had an idea and asked if I would interview Sheila Bright. Of course, I was honored but, wow, I had to think about it, let it sit in my head!”
Bright refers to herself as a visual cultural producer not someone to be labeled by the media as a fine arts photographer. The discovery that young social activists’ struggles today mirrored that of their parents and grandparents, led the artist to Atlanta where she found living legends of the 60s Civil Rights Movement.
One of them was the president of the Atlanta Student Movement, Charles Black, who brought greater understanding regarding the plight for equality in 1960 America.
Inspired by that encounter, she has been following the Black Lives Movement ever since. In addition to Atlanta, Bright’s travels took her to Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Baton Rouge, where the activists were protesting against, among other topics, police brutality.
“I have been to everywhere and it’s that same thing that I see. It’s a lot of hurt and a lot of pain. The young people are tired like the young people of the 60s. I don’t want to show the anger as much as I want to show the hurt and sadness,” she said of her exhibition, which consists of a couple dozen photos.
After the SMP’s reception, Bright was headed to Detroit, then was lecturing at the Society for Photographic Education’s 55th annual conference in Philadelphia in March. Her exhibit at the SMP closes March 5.
Bright attracted an entourage of students following the lecture. They asked technical questions regarding her photography, personal questions regarding fear and how she balances family life.
The photographer was motivated to impart as much knowledge as time allowed fueling a parade of students that followed her to her exhibition upstairs, where they continued peppering her with questions.
In the midst of it all, Senior Professor, Eric Breitenbach ran over to the event photographers.
“Are you getting this? This is a historical moment! Sheila is the first African-American woman to speak at this museum,” he exclaimed, emphasizing the importance of Bright as a female, an African-American artist and civil rights voice.