Exhibition Connects Gordon Parks and Beverly Price Through Photography of Black Life

The Center for Art and Advocacy in New York is presenting 'A Language We Share: Beverly Price and Gordon Parks,' an exhibition that juxtaposes the work of two photographers documenting Black communities in Washington, D.C., across different eras. Gordon Parks, a renowned 20th-century artist, captured images of the city in 1942, focusing on social justice and civil rights themes. Beverly Price, a contemporary photographer, revisits similar neighborhoods, centering her work on children's experiences, aiming to preserve innocence and highlight joy. The show, running from March 20, 2026, explores how photographs convey meaning over time. Price discussed her background in an interview, revealing that photography became a tool for her after personal losses and a dream inspired her to start in 2016. Her art is influenced by her incarceration experience, emphasizing preventive justice and amplifying youth voices. She builds trust with subjects through shared community ties and relationships. The exhibition was proposed by Carly Fischer of the Center for Art and Advocacy after Price's mother passed away in December 2025, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Parks' death. Price selected pairings of her images with Parks' works, such as linking themes of incarceration and freedom. The display underscores photography's role as a historical record and a means to document everyday life with dignity.