Featuring: Prince Johnson Agbodeka, Devin Allen, Tau Battice, Reese Bland, Trevon Blondet, D. Michael Cheers, Russell Frederick, Anthony Geathers, Jason Miccolo Johnson, Khary Mason, Michael A. McCoy, Quinton Pete, Jamel Shabazz, Brandon Ruffin, and Michael Young.
Framing Fatherhood: A Celebration of Black Fathers began as an act of love, a deliberate counter-narrative to the stories so often told about Black fathers rather than by and for them. A love letter to Black men, their children, and the young people their love impacts. Through the lenses of 15 prominent Black male photographers, this exhibition captures timeless tenderness, unapologetic vulnerability, the intimate moments between father and child, and the love that legacies leave.
In 2026, that love feels more necessary than ever. At a moment when Black cultural life and the stories we tell about ourselves are under pressure, Framing Fatherhood arrives at Photoville not simply as a celebration, but as a reckoning with memory, legacy, and what it means to be seen. From its record-breaking premiere at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 2022, to the photography book published in October 2025 and accompanying podcast, the work has always insisted on Black joy as both declaration and defiance. These images do not ask for permission to exist. They declare it.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Prince Johnson Agbodeka is a self-taught event and portrait photographer who lives in Accra, Ghana.
Devin Allen is a photographer, photojournalist, and activist based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Tau Battice is a New York City-based photographer from St. Kitts-Nevis.
Reese Bland is a documentary photographer from Pittsburgh, PA, currently working in Washington, DC.
Trevon Blondet is a self-taught portrait photographer from the Bronx, whose creative journey began with capturing the energy of concerts, basketball, and football.
D. Michael Cheers, PhD, teaches visual journalism in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San Jose State University. A documentary filmmaker, Cheers was co-editor and contributing photographer to the bestselling books, Songs of My People: African Americans, A Self-Portrait and Still Grazing: The Musical Journey of Hugh Masekela. Cheers most recently produced and directed the documentary I Needed Paris, Inspired by Gordon Parks.
Russell Frederick is a self-taught Afro-Latino photographer, educator, and filmmaker with more than twenty-five years experience from Brooklyn, NY.
Anthony Geathers is a documentary and portrait photographer from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He is also a Marine Corps veteran.
Jason M. Johnson is a Savannah-based author and award-winning photojournalist. He captures the essence of his subjects through their “eyes and hands” while conveying layers of subtle information.
Khary Uché Mason is a retired Detroit Police Homicide Detective. His visual and written works focus on underrepresented narratives that exist within the Black community.
Michael A. McCoy is a Washington, DC-based photojournalist known for his compelling visual storytelling. An avid golfer, he brings focus and precision to every frame.
Quinton Pete is a passion driven San Jose-based photographer who documents emotion through portraits and street photography, honoring his late father who first ignited his passion for photography.
Jamel Shabazz is best known for his iconic photographs of New York City during the 1980s. A documentary, fashion, and street photographer, he has authored 12 monographs and contributed to over three dozen other photography related books. He is the 2023 recipient of the Lucie Foundation award for his achievement in documentary photography, and the 2022 awardee of the Gordon Parks Foundation / Steidl book prize. His goal as an artist is to contribute to the preservation of world history and culture.
Michael Young is a Bronx-based street and documentary photographer.
Curator Imani M. Cheers, PhD is a cultural curator, director, producer, activist and academic based in Washington, DC. She is an avid traveler, scuba diver, and conservation enthusiast, spending much of her time exploring sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean with her son, Isaiah.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
Framing Fatherhood: A Celebration of Black Fathers
Featuring: Various Artists
Curated by: Imani M. Cheers, PhD
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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The views and opinions expressed in this exhibit are those of the exhibition artists and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Photoville or any other participants and partners of the Photoville Festival.
