In the African tradition, a Griot is the oral historian portraying the cultural essence of a community through the Word.
Susan J. "Sue" Ross, the PhotoGriot, tells the stories of our community through her eye and the lens of her camera. The daughter of a cultural anthropologist and a social worker, Sue is an artist & cultural worker using the medium of photography to document the social, political and cultural experiences of the community.
Sistagraphy's "Black Love Matters" exhibit was included in the 2017 John's Creek Arts Center Black History Month exhibit "I, Too, Am America"
349 Decatur St, SE, Suite 1-C,
Atlanta, GA 30312
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Spaces: Great and Small
As a founding member of Sistagraphy: the collective of african-american women photographers, i invite you to explore our online photo exhibitions at
In Conversation:
Visual Meditations on Black Masculinity
MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora
October 4, 2019 - March 1, 2020
Africam-American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
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The Function of Freedom: A Visual Art Exhibition in Honor of Toni Morrison
November 3, 2019 - February 20, 2019 (extended)
Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture & History
101 Auburn Ave, NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
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Rencontres De Bamako: Biennale Africaine De La Photographie
Mfon: Women of the African Diaspora Collective Exhibit
November 30, 2019 - January 31, 2020
Musèe National du Mali, Bamako. Mali
If you look closely, you can see my photo Sistren just over his shoulder!
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Sue's Photos in Recent Books
MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora
Edited by
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn & Adama Delphine Fawundu
order at www.http://mfonfoto.org
Brilliant Flame! Amiri Baraka Poetry, Plays & Politics For The People
Edited By
Haki Madhubuti, Michael Simanga, Sonia Sanchez & Woodie King, Jr
Third World Press
Coretta: My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Corretta Scott Key & Dr Barbara Reynolds
Henry Holt & Compay
by Andrew Young, Harvey Newman
& Andrea Young
Mercer University Press
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Artist Talk & Sistagraphy Book Signing:
July 27, 2017, 7pm, AARL
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ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL
Atlanta Jazz Festival: Forty Years
Coffee Table Book
The Atlanta Jazz Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a collector's item - a coffee table book filled with incredible imagery capturing AJF highlights from photographers Jim Alexander, Susan Ross, Michael Reese, Julie Yarbrough & Ernest Gregory. This is a must-have collector's item for jazz aficionados. Click on link to order & for more info.
"The Atlanta Jazz Festival in Photographs"
April 21 - October 31, 2017
Opening Reception: April 21, 6-8 pm
Artist Talk & Closing Reception:
Otober 21, 2017, 11am-1pm
Arnika Dawkins Gallery
4600 Cascade Rd SW
Atlanta, GA 30331
At the opening with my photographs of Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Sarah Vaughan & Hugh Masakela
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Sistahs Writing Themselves Into Existence
March 26 - August 15, 2017
Opening: Sunday March 26, 3-5pm
Auburn Avenue Research Library
Artist Talk & Sistagraphy Book Signing:
July 27, 2017, 7pm
101 Auburn Ave, NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
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"Respondez S'il Vous Plait (RSVP)"
Hammonds House Museum
June 1 - Jul7 15, 2017
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Oct 15-23, 2015
ATLANTA MATRIARCHS OF THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
The Healey Building
57 Forsyth St NW, ATL 30303
Sat-Sun 12 noon - 6pm
Mon-Fri 10am - 6pm
MEET THE TEAM: Tuesday 12:30pm
Closing Reception: Thursday 5 pm
A collection of my images of the Atlanta Matriarchs of Civil Rights are part of this exhibit conceived and organized by Kitty Pope, publisher of the magazine AfricanDiasporaTourism.com
With my images of Xernona Clayton, Coretta Scott King and Jean Childs Young
sponsored by the City of Atlanta
Office of Cultural Affairs
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An exhibit celebrating the 50th Anniversary & honoring the Atlanta participants in the Selma to Montgomery March.
Participating photographers:
SCLC photographer Wendell Rodgers, Movement photographer Donnie Hunter and PhotoGriot Susan J. "Sue" Ross
March 2 - March 13, 2015
Atlanta City Hall Atrium
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February 2015
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African Americans For the Arts
January 25 - February 27, 2015
Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library
Central Branch Gallery, Lower level
One Margaret Mitchell Square
Atlanta, GA 30303
Sue Ross with my
"Ode to the Ancestors:
Baraka, Maya & Vincent"
(photo credit: Jurée Hall)
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Celebrating Toni Cade Bambara on
The Feminist Wire
My photographs are part of an incredibly rich online archive celebrating the life and legacy of the cultural warrior woman Toni Cade Bambara during the year of the 75th anniversary of her birth.
My work accompanies several of the essays and is featured on this page in the Forum:
"Photographs of Toni Cade Bambara and Friends"
Many thanks to Aishah Shiadah Simmons and Heidi Lewis for their monumental work putting together this online Forum. A guide to all the contributions is found here:
"AFTERWORD: TONI CADE BAMBARA'S LIVING LEGACY"
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Sue Ross interview on WXIA 11Alive news
(click on photo to view interview)
Selected Works by Susan J. Ross from Sheroes & Heroes, JazzAtlanta & She Writes/She Reads:
AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library, Main Floor
111 James P. Brawley Dr, SW,
Fall 2012 - June 2014
AMIRI BARAKA and the Cultural
Community: a photography exhibition by Jim Alexander and Sue Ross
April 26 - May 23, 2014
Opening Reception
Saturday, April 26, 2014 7-10PM
The Arts Exchange
The XChange Gallery
750 Kalb Street SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
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Southern Connections: Bearden in Atlanta
(click link to see video)
Dec 14, 2013 - March 9, 2014
Michael C Carlos Museum
Emory University
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Sankofa Redux: 25 Years of NBAF
July 18 - September 13, 2013
Bank of America Gallery
600 Peachtree St NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
A photo-history of the National Black Arts Festival, curated by Susan J. Ross, featuring the work of 5 photographers: Jim Alexander, Brian Christian, Gudrun S. Hughes,Shannon McCollum and Sue Ross.
Click to view:
City Channel 26 interview with Sankofa Redux curator Sue Ross
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The Atlanta Daily World presents
The 3rd World of Pictures
Thursday March 28, 6-8pm
AUC Woodruff Library, Main Floor
111 James P. Brawley Dr, SW,
Atlanta, GA 30314
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Giwayen Mata: Celebrating 20 Years
A multi-media historical exhibit with photographs by Seve Oba Adigun, Catherine Alston & Sue Ross
Southwest Arts Center
915 New Hope Road
Atlanta, GA 30331
Mar 22 - Apr 16, 2013
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Arnika Dawkins Gallery presents
DREAMING IDENTITIES
Curated by Dr Deborah Willis
in conjunction with
Atlanta Celebrates Photography
October 5 - December 1, 2012
Sue at Dreaming Identities
(photo credit: Sheila Pree Bright)
Oct. 5, 6 pm: Panel Discussion with
Deborah Willis & the Artists
Southwest Arts Center
915 New Hope Rd, Atlanta, GA 30331
Gallery Reception and Book-Signing
(immediately following panel)
Arnika Dawkins Gallery
4600 Cascade Rd, SW
Atlanta, GA 30331
www.adawkinsgallery.com
22nd Annual Exhibit of the National Arts Program for City of Atlanta Employees and their Families
October 12 - November 3, 2012
Chastain Arts Center
135 W Wieuca Rd, NW
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 252-2927
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an exhibit complementing the NBAF Women's History Month series at the Auburn Avenue Research Library
Exhibition: March 1- April 30, 2012
Artist Talk: Thursday March 1, 6-8 pm
Auburn Avenue Research Library
101 Auburn Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Click on the link above to view photos from my archives of the National Black Arts festival, 1988 - present on Facebook. New photos added daily in July! For more info on 2010 NBAF, go to www.nbaf.org.
June is Black Music Month! Pharoah Sanders
Click on the title to view my FaceBook photo album where I added one of my classic or contemporary photos of black music-makers every day in June 2010!
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Artist Talk & Sistagraphy Book Signing:
Copyright 2011 PhotoGriot. All rights reserved.