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Jules T. Allen

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Jules Allen
Born
Jules T. Allen

(1947-09-13) September 13, 1947 (age 77)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
EducationSan Francisco State University,
Hunter College
Known forPhotography
WebsiteOfficial website

Jules Allen (born September 13, 1947) is an American photographer,[1] author, and educator. He is known for his photographs of African-American culture.[2][3][4] He is an emeritus professor of Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, where he has taught for two decades in the art and photography department.

Biography

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Jules T. Allen was born in San Francisco, California.[5] He studied at San Francisco State University (BFA, MS degree), under photographer Jack Welpott.[6] [better source needed] He moved to New York City in 1978.[2] He continued his studies at Hunter College (MFA degree).[6]

Jules Allen uses photography as a medium to expose, in his words, “the essential truth”: “that a culture’s power is clearest when presented on its own terms.”[7] He also shares the belief of photographer Diane Arbus, who states, “the more specific a thing is, the more general.” The artist, Danny Dawson has said, "Allen has a “keen eye for the obvious” in his lifelong work evocative of the contemporary black experience.[8] His images place subjects drawn from the richness of black life within universal paradigms. They have inspired collaborations with journalists, visual artists, musicians, playwrights, poets, and filmmakers.[citation needed]

Allen also used his photographs to confront segregation and racism. Allen comments on his collection depicting boxers in Gleason Gym by saying, "whatever racism existed, it did not seem to have much effect on the fighters in the room. It was a question of character. It was a place where people seemed to be more equal".[9] Allen used the boxing ring and the sport itself to display the equality between blacks and whites as they were literally on even ground and the only difference between the two was the character of each fighter. It wasn’t a question of who was what race and who had more privilege, it was about the heart and drive of each of the fighters in the ring. In collaboration with QCC Art Gallery Press, he published “Double Up,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” “Marching Bands,” “Good Looking Out.” The fifth book, "The Hats And HatNots,” explores the territories of those who make up the overwhelming majority of the black diaspora in the enormous American lands. Its focus, the Hat, and all of its sub-textual trappings: legitimacy, power, honor, righteousness, the glory and resurrection, was released in September 2022.

Exhibited in the U.S. and abroad, as shown in the Permanent Museum Collections & Exhibition listing below, he is the recipient of grants and awards.[10] His photographs are housed in museum collections worldwide.[11] His commercial and corporate work has been seen on covers of national publications such as Business Week, Forbes and Black Enterprise magazines as well as within the Annual Reports of corporate boards and clients within the music industry.[12]

Permanent collections

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Exhibitions

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    • Gray Gallery, Chicago, IL "McArthur Binion & Jules Allen: Me and You," Apr 12 - May 31, 2024
    • Luxe, Calme, Volupté, an exhibition curated by Antonio Sergio Bessa and Allen Frame, Candice Madey Gallery, July 2023
    • Obsidian Project, Virtual Conversation, "Backstory: What is Great Photography? Part 1" March 12, 2021
    • Back to the Lab NYC, Virtual Conversation, Jules Allen & Joe Lewis "Good Looking Out" September 23, 2020
    • Montalvo Arts Center, Virtual Conversation, "How Much Of Sight is Invention" July 30, 2020
    • Kenkeleba House, Wilmer Jennings Gallery, "Visions 1020" March 8, 2020 - May 2, 2020
    • Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, "Patience and Perseverance: The Black Photographers Annual, Vol 4" Nov 10, 2018–May 11, 2019
    • National Arts Club, "The Work of Kamoinge Black Women: Power and Grace" May 28, 2018 - June 30 2018
    • Annenberg Space for Photography, "Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History" Oct 13, 2018 - Jan 25 2019
    • Allentown Art Museum,"Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History" May 4 – Jul  29, 2018
    • Olympic Museum, Lausanne, Switzerland, "Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History" May 25 – Nov  19, 2017
    • Los Angeles County Museum of Art, “Marching Bands Lecture & Exhibition” Mar  2017
    • Tampa Museum of Art,"Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present" Feb  5 – Apr 30, 2017
    • Brooklyn Museum, "Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present" Jul 15, 2016 - Jan 8, 2017
    • Leica Gallery, "Double Up" Solo Exhibition, New York, NY, Nov 16, 2012 - Jan 5, 2013
    • International Center of Photography, New York Street Stories, Lecture/Seminar, New York, NY, May 11, 2012
    • Southeast Queens Camera Club, Jamaica, NY, Lecture Apr 17, 2012
    • SOHO Photo Gallery, PhotoGroup Salon, Group Lecture, New York, NY, Jan 18, 2012
    • Propositions on the Permanent Collection, Group Exhibition, Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY, 2009
    • Marching Bands Exhibit, Solo Exhibition, The Jazz Gallery, New York, NY, 2006
    • Photographs: Jules Allen, Solo Exhibition, Institute of African Affairs, NY University, New York, NY, 2006
    • Imagenes Havana, Group Exhibition of Latin, Caribbean and U.S. photographers, Santiago/Havana, Cuba, co-sponsored by Fototeca and The Washington Post, 2004
    • Americanos, Group Exhibition, Smithsonian Institute; shown in 26 cities across the US, 2002
    • Life of the City, Group Exhibition, Permanent Collection, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 2002
    • Committed to the Image, Group Exhibition, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, NY, 2001
    • Harlem, Group Exhibition, Leica Gallery, New York, NY, 2000
    • Black New Yorkers/ Black New York, Group Exhibition, Schomburg Center, New York, NY, 1999
    • Americanos: Latino Life in the United States, Group Exhibition, Museum of the City of New York, NY, 1999
    • Living for the City, Group Traveling Exhibition, Parsons School of Design, New York, NY, 1997
    • Icon to Narrative: Harlem, Group Exhibition, IRADAC Center, New York, NY, 1998
    • Domestic Abuse Awareness Project, Group Exhibition & Auction, Kent Gallery, New York, NY, 1997
    • Million Man March, Group Exhibition, Del Pryor Galleries, Detroit, MI, 1997
    • Hats and Hat Nots, Solo Exhibition, Drew University, New Jersey, 1995
    • Gesture and Pose, Group Exhibition, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 1994
    • Our Town, Group Exhibition, Burden Gallery, New York, NY, 1993
    • In the Ring, Solo Exhibition, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, NY, 1993
    • In the Ring, Solo Exhibition, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Staten Island, NY, 1993
    • Hats and Hat Nots, Solo Exhibition, QCC Art Gallery, CUNY, Bayside, Queens, NY, 1993
    • Public Photographs, Solo Exhibition, 60 Bus Shelters, Harlem, NY, Public Art Fund, New York, NY, 1992
    • Songs of My People, Group Exhibition, Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1992
    • Songs of My People, Group Exhibition, Museum of the City of New York, NY, 1992
    • Fighting Spirit, Solo Exhibition, Delta Axis Arts Center, Memphis, TN, 1992
    • Group Exhibition, De Meervaart Cultural Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1991
    • Two Photographers, Group Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland, 1991
    • On the Edge, Group Exhibition, Henry Street Settlement House, New York, NY, 1991
    • Mean Streets, Group Exhibition Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 1991
    • Contemporary Urban Images, Group Exhibition Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY, 1990
    • The Knife, Group Exhibition, Agnes B. Gallery, Paris France, 1990
    • Black USA, Group Exhibition, Overhollander Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1990
    • Photography and the Culture Climate, Solo Exhibition, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1989
    • A Little More Towards the Light, Solo Exhibition, Shadow Image Gallery, New York, NY, 1989

Press & Publications

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Awards & Honors

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  • Award, CAPS, Photography, New York, New York, 1980
  • Photography Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, New York, 1985
  • Grant, Light Work, Syracuse, New York, 1986
  • Photography Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts, 1991
  • Award, New York Council of the Arts, & Public Art Fund Presentation; “60 Bus Stop Shelters,” City College of New York, New York, 1992
  • Research & Photography Grant Funding, City University of New York, NY, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, 1994–99; 2001
  • Imagines Havana, Documentary Photography Panel, Seminar for Latin, Caribbean and US photographers; co-sponsored by The Washington Post and Fototeca, 2003
  • Research & Photography Grant Funding, CETL Grants & Awards City University of New York, New York, 2003
  • Research & Photography Grant Funding, CETL Grants & Awards City University of New York, New York, 2004–2009
  • Southeast Queens Camera Club, Jamaica, New York, Lecture April 17, 2012
  • Excellence in Faculty Scholarship Award, Queensborough Community College, April 20, 2012

References

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  1. ^ The Black photographers annual. 1980. pp. 88–.
  2. ^ a b Gonzalez, David (2011-10-14). "Lens Blog: The Sweet Science of Body and Soul". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  3. ^ Dingle, Joicelyn (2021-09-18). "Jules Allen: The Art of Afro-normalism". Ebony. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  4. ^ Sargent, Antwaun (2018-05-29). "Celebrating the Grace of Black Women". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  5. ^ "Jules Allen". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  6. ^ a b "Professor Jules T. Allen". Queensborough Community College.
  7. ^ "BOMB Magazine | An Oral History Project Excerpt with Jules Allen by…". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  8. ^ "Jules T. Allen". Prezi. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  9. ^ Gonzalez, David. "A Rough Equality In Gleason's Ring". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  10. ^ "Past Fellows". New York Foundation for the Arts. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  11. ^ "Studio Museum in Harlem–Just the Right Size". Shelly's Retirement Adventure. 11 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  12. ^ "Jules T. Allen". October Gallery. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  13. ^ "[Parade of Soldiers] (From the "Hats and Hat Nots" series) – Works – eMuseum".
  14. ^ "Jules Allen | Smithsonian American Art Museum".
  15. ^ "Jules Allen | MoMA".
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