Obama photography exhibit coming to Seacoast African American Cultural Center
PORTSMOUTH — The Seacoast African American Cultural Center will soon reopen for the season with an exhibit showcasing the work of former White House photographer Pete Souza – 50 iconic and intimate images from his eight years covering the administration of President Barack Obama.
SAACC is celebrating its 20th anniversary of promoting Black arts and culture in the Seacoast. Its 2020 reopening has been delayed by the coronavirus.
From July to December, the center will display “Obama: An Intimate Portrait.“
The original exhibition was created for the New Bedford Museum last year. Since then, it has been shown in three additional locations. SAACC leaders said they’re proud to offer the exhibit to the public, sharing with the community the work of the chief official White House photographer and the director of the White House Photography Office from 2009 to 2017.
Souza’s work documenting Obama’s presidency is also available in book format, which published in 2017 and debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It is one of the best-selling photography books of all time, Souza’s website says.
Complementing Souza's work at SAACC is "Obama: An Ancestral Legacy," an exhibit curated through SAACC's University of New Hampshire internship program and featuring objects from SAACC's collection that highlight Obama's Diaspora heritage and America's history of foreign policy in Africa.
Information will be posted on the SAACC website about making a timed visit reservation via Event Brite. The center will be open Friday through Monday beginning July 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and opening more days and times in August through the end of the year.
SAACC’s reopening is supported in part by New Hampshire Humanities Cares Grant and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
SAACC’s mission is to celebrate the lives and achievements of Black people with emphasis on the unique story of African Americans in the Seacoast, and to infuse all people, particularly young people, with knowledge of and appreciation for shared history and culture. Visit www.saacc-nh.org.
