2011 Annual Report - Nasher Museum of Art - Duke University

The jazz loft project: W. Eugene Smithin New York City, 1957-1965February 3 - July 10, 2011 | Brenda La Grange Johnson and Heather JohnsonSargent PavilionThe Nasher Museum and Duke’s Center for DocumentaryStudies presented The Jazz Loft Project: W. EugeneSmith in New York City, 1957-1965, an exhibitionof photographs and recordings of some of the jazzworld’s greatest legends. In the late 1950s, W. EugeneSmith lived and worked in a New York City loftbuilding with an amazing list of visitors—jazz musicians,filmmakers, writers and artists. In photographs andaudio recordings, he documented an era and raremoments with people such as Thelonious Monk, ZootSimms, Norman Mailer and Salvador Dali, amongothers. Writer Sam Stephenson discovered Smith’sjazz loft photographs and tapes 11 years ago, when hewas researching another Smith project in the archivesat the University of Arizona’s Center for CreativePhotography. He spent seven years cataloging,archiving, selecting and editing these materials for abook and, along with other partners, a radio series,an exhibition and website. Courtney Reid-Eaton,exhibitions director at Duke’s Center for DocumentaryStudies, was co-curator of the exhibition. The JazzLoft Project opened at the New York Public Library forPerforming Arts in New York City, then traveled to theChicago Cultural Center. From the Nasher Museum,the Jazz Loft Project travels to the Museum ofPhotographic Arts in San Diego, CA, and the Center forCreative Photography at the University of Arizona.The Jazz Loft Project: W. Eugene Smith in New York City,1957-1965 was organized by the Center for DocumentaryStudies at Duke University, the Center for Creative Photographyat the University of Arizona and the Nasher Museum of Artat Duke University.The Jazz Loft Project at the Center for Documentary Studiesat Duke University was made possible through the generoussupport of the Reva and David Logan Foundation, with significantadditional support from the National Endowment for theHumanities, the National Historical Publications and RecordsCommission, the National Academy of Recording Arts andSciences (The Grammy Foundation), the Duke University Officeof the Provost, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Ken andAmelia Jacob, and Kimpton Hotels.At Duke University, major support for the exhibition was providedby David Lamond, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass, the Robert K. SteelFamily Foundation, Sally and Russell Robinson, Bruce and MarthaKarsh, Charles Weinraub and Emily Kass, Drs. Victor and LenoreBehar, Barbara T. and Jack O. Bovender Jr., G. Richard Wagoner,the Bostock Family Foundation, Laurene M. and Scott M. Sperling,and Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Additional support wasgiven by William H. and Lorna Chafe, John A. Forlines Jr., Tom andMargaret Gorrie, the Graduate Liberal Studies program at DukeUniversity, Peter and Debbie Kahn, Patricia and John Koskinen,Peter Lange and Lori Leachman, Ann Pelham and Robert Cullen,Barry Poss and Michele Pas, Tom Rankin and Jill McCorkle, AlanD. Schwartz and Nancy C. Seaman, Mary D.B.T. Semans, andCourtney Shives. We also thank Patty Morton, Joy and J.J. Kiser,Cookie and Henry Kohn, Michael Marsicano, Susan M. Stalnecker,Sallyan Windt, Karla F. and Russell Holloway, Jim Roberts, RobertJ. Thompson, Jr., James L. and Florence Peacock III, W. Josephand Ann Mann, Charles and Barbara Smith, Drs. Leela and BabaPrasad, Louise C. and Waltz Maynor, Joy and John Kasson, Dr.Assad Meymandi, and Alan B. Teasley.RELATED PROGRAMSPublic opening event.First Thursday gallery talk with Sam Stephenson, co-curator and author of The Jazz Loft Project.Free Family Day event.“Jazz Then and Now,” a talk with Branford Marsalis and Sam Stephenson at Hayti Heritage Center.Musical performance with The Wayne Shorter Quartet (Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez, John Pattituci, Brian Blade),co-sponsored by Duke Performances.Art for All event, a “black and white” party with live jazz, spoken word poetry, a student fashion show and swingdancing demonstrations, hosted by the Nasher Museum Student Advisory Board.Musical performance by Steve Reich and David Harrington, co-sponsored by Duke Performances.Lecture by photography archivist and historian William Johnson on W. Eugene Smith.Musical performance by The Watts Project (Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Christian McBride, David Sanchez), co-sponsored byDuke Performances.First Thursday gallery talk with Courtney Reid-Eaton, exhibitions director at Duke’s Center for Documentary Studiesand co-curator of The Jazz Loft Project.Brummer event, “Informance,” with John Brown, director of Duke’s Jazz Program, and his quintet, who played jazzmusic and led a conversation on how to listen to jazz.OPPOSITE PAGE:TOP LEFT: Visitors write answers to the question “What is the most unusual thing you’ve seen out of your window?” onPost-it notes in a gallery space inside The Jazz Loft Project.TOP RIGHT: John Brown, director of Duke’s Jazz Program, performs with his quintet at the opening event for The JazzLoft Project.THIS PAGE:TOP LEFT: More than 75 visitors gathered for a First Thursday gallery talk with Courtney Reid-Eaton.TOP RIGHT: John Brown’s quintet performs for members of the Nasher Museum’s Brummer Society.BOTTOM: Duke students take in The Jazz Loft Project.p. 20 The Jazz Loft Project: W. Eugene Smith in New York City, 1957-1965The Jazz Loft Project: W. Eugene Smith in New York City, 1957-1965p. 21