A Journey Through Baquet's Lens
Loyola University is honored to host "A Tribute to Harold Baquet: Picturing Blackness." A photography exhibition showcasing Baquet's moving, thoughtful, and revolutionary pieces, guests are invited to visit the Monroe Library's Diboll Design Center, located on the library's 4th Floor, from October 24, 2024 through April of 2025.
The gallery will be open during library hours and will not only include Baquet's retrospective pieces but also images from current New Orleans photographers. Other photographers will include Jamal Barnes, Ashley Lorraine, Tod Smith, Eric Waters, and many more.
The exhibit will be a meditation on Black political and daily life, both from the perspective of the past and of the present. Other photographers included are some of the best Black and Brown artists from around New Orleans. These contributing photographers are similarly inspiring and daring like the late Harold Baquet, contributing work that takes an intimate and close-up look at musicians, clubs, and more cultural staples from around the New Orleans area.
A thought-provoking and radically moving exhibit, many of Baquet's pieces continue to hold significant weight today. The exhibit will host more than 55 images in total, curated by famous local artists and writer L. Kasimu Harris.
About Baquet
Harold Baquet began his photography career working alongside both African American-owned and local newspapers and worked for The Times Picayune, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Further into his career, Baquet was hired as a staff photographer for the first Black mayor of New Orleans, Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial. He went on to photograph, explore, and showcase the many diverse communities and cultures present within the city of New Orleans, from the Vietnamese community to Black Americans' influence on the city and much more.
Baquet's work is a testament to his love for the city, its community, and his curious and artistic photographic eye. In 1989, Baquet began to work for Loyola University New Orleans as their photographer for over 25 years and won accolades such as the Coadjutor Optimus Award, the St. Sebastian Award, and the President's Medal. Since his passing in 2015, Baquet's artistry and legacy has lived on with an extensive amount of his prints being housed at the Historic New Orleans Collection, Loyola University, and the Jazz and Heritage Foundation.
Experience Baquet's artistic legacy at Loyola University from October 24 until April of 2025. A fantastic experience for photography lovers and also an inspiring exhibit, visit to understand and learn more about local Black political life, social movements, and the diversity of the city of New Orleans.
