Willie Middlebrook (artist)
Willie Middlebrook | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 11, 1957 Detroit, Michigan |
| Died | May 5, 2012 (aged 54) Los Angeles, California |
| Known for | photography |
Willie Robert Middlebrook, Jr. (August 11, 1957 in Detroit, MI – May 5, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA) was an American photographer, artist and strong advocate for the African-American community in Los Angeles. He received many honors during his lifetime, including two Visual Artist Fellowships in photography from the National Endowment for the Arts,[1] and many commissions for public works including the Los Angeles Metro Expo/Crenshaw Station.[2] His work has been collected by major museums including the Art Institute of Chicago,[3] the Cleveland Museum of Art,[4] the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[5] and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.[6]
HIs work has been exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and LACMA.[7]
With two degrees, an Associate of Arts degree in Art / Photography from Compton Community College and a Certificate in Design from the Communicative Arts Academy, his legacy includes teaching at many institutions from Watts Towers Arts Center to the California State University Los Angeles as well as being on the advisory committee for the Photography Department at his amla mater, Compton Community College.[8]
The social activism and outreach he made to the Greater Los Angeles community was honored many times, including being awarded a City of Los Angeles Individual Artist Fellowship grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs in 2009.[9] This was after over 20 years of awards and acknowledgment including three commendations from the Los Angeles City Council for his photography, and being named a "Hometown Hero" by the City of Compton.[7] His influence reached much further than Los Angeles from his work being shown nationally in gallery settings,[10] to his work as a director for the Society for Photographic Education.[7]
As a fine artist, he is best known for his works photographing the African-American people and communities in greater Los Angeles with dignity and respect. He is also well known for his photographic printing techniques, where he has painted photographic emulsion thickly, in a dripping fashion on surfaces, and then exposing this photosensitive material to make a print. He would do this in multiple layers. Later he moved to more digital processes, to achieve his multi-layered effects.[11]
Middlebrook died of a stroke in Culver City, California on May 5, 2012.[12]
Middlebrook's work was included in the 2025 exhibition Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 at the National Gallery of Art. [13]
References
- ^ Woo, Elaine (May 11, 2012). "Willie Middlebrook dies; photographer documented African American life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ YAMAMOTO, ZIPPORAH. "Willie Robert Middlebrook, Jr. 1957–2012". metro.net. Los Angeles Metro. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Willie Robert Middlebrook". The Art Institute of Chicago. 1957. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ^ "#319". Cleveland Museum of Art. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ^ "Celebrating Black History Month—Photography Collection Highlights, Part 2". Unframed. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ^ "Willie Robert Middlebrook". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ a b c Montgomery, Renee (June 16, 2011). "WILLIE MIDDLEBROOK MTA ARTIST". The Good Neighbor News Online. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "Willie Middlebrook". muralconservancy.org/. Mural Conservancy Dot Org. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ "FLORENCE-FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER". lacountyarts.org/. Los Angeles County Arts. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ Aletti, Vince (March 6, 2001). "Body and Soul". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ ZIPPORAH, YAMAMOTO. "Art for the Expo Line: Willie Middlebrook's Designs for Expo/Crenshaw Station". Metro.net. Los Angeles Metro. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ Woo, Elaine (May 11, 2012). "Willie Middlebrook dies; photographer documented African American life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2026.
- ^ Brookman, Philip; Willis, Deborah (2025). Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985. New Haven London: Yale University Press. p. 259. ISBN 9780300283501.