Bates Area Civic Association

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has acquired 50 16″ x 20″ black & white photographs from the book Soul Sanctuary: Images of the African American Worship Experience by award winning photographer Jason Miccolo Johnson.
  
“As director of NMAAHC,” said Lonnie Bunch, “I cannot be more pleased and excited by the acquisition of these amazing images that document the work and creativity of Jason M. Johnson. These photographs capture the power, beauty and centrality of religion and the importance of the church in African American life.”
  
“This acquisition by the NMAAHC is one of the highlights of my professional career and is another milestone in an evolving legacy as a major photographer of African American culture,” said Johnson. “I want to do in photography what August Wilson did in plays.”
  
Johnson’s photographs have already been included in two Smithsonian Institution exhibitions – “Reflections in Black” and “Speak to my Heart.” His work is also in the permanent collections of the St. Louis Art Museum and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He has exhibited on four continents and contributed to 21 books, 53 magazines and two films.
  
NMAAHC will be the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to African American life, art, history and culture. It is scheduled to open in Washington, DC in 2015.
  
For further information or to request an interview, please inquire at info@jasonmiccolojohnson.com.