If Emmett Till Lived: Photography Workshop for Seniors (65+) in collaboration with the Library Bessie Coleman Branch
Coleman Branch Library, 731 E 63rd St, Chicago, IL 60637About The Event
Join documentary/street photographer Stephen Marc for a free photography workshop connected to the exhibition If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground opening September 10, 2026 at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.
Participants will create photographs inspired by the question: “What do you wish Emmett Till could have experienced?”
Using disposable cameras provided by MoCP, participants will document moments from their daily lives. Select photographs will be featured in a future exhibition alongside works by Chicago Public Schools students in Winter 2027.
Program schedule:
May 29, 2026 from 1-2pm: Artist Talk by Stephen Marc
Location: Coleman Branch Library
Open to the public of all ages. No registration required.
Marc will share images and insights from his four decades of documentary photography practice.
June 12, 2026 from 1-3pm: Photography Workshop
Location: Coleman Branch Library
Open to seniors 65 years of age or older. Registration recommended. Please email Alayna Pernell at apernell@colum.edu to register.
Stephen will lead a workshop on photographic strategies and composition. This will prepare participants for making their own works to document a day in their life.
June 26, 2026 by 3pm: Camera Drop-Off
Location: Coleman Branch Library
Participants using disposable cameras must return them to the library by this date.
About the Exhibition: This program is connected to the upcoming exhibition, If Emmett Till Lived: Freedom on American Ground, curated by scholar and cultural historian, Sarah Lewis. The exhibition presents over 150 photographs from the museum’s permanent collection to answer the question: What if Emmet Till Lived? The question invites a reckoning with the past, and a probing investigation of the current state of American life.
About Stephen Marc: Stephen Marc documents and interprets history with a focus on the Black experience. Known for documenting Chicago’s South Side in the 1980s, Marc later created photographic montages combining personal images, historical archives, and contemporary scenes to reflect on the Black experience and the legacy of the Underground Railroad. His work is held in major museum collections across the United States and Europe.
For inquiries, contact Kristin Taylor ktaylor@colum.edu or Alayna Pernell apernell@colum.edu.
