Kojo: Eyewitness to History

Special closing event Sat., May 13, 2017 at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center

The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC) will celebrate the life and work of late Columbus photographer Kojo Kamau as a part of our exhibit closing event Kojo: Eyewitness to History. The exhibit is a retrospective of the work of Columbus photographer Kojo Kamau, who has photographed notable African Americans from Muhammad Ali to President Barack Obama for over 50 years.

Known as Kojo, his photographs have been on exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art, the Chicago Center of Science and Industry, and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The exhibit, which will officially end on May 20, 2017, features photography from his travels around in Africa. The exhibit also includes artwork from his personal collection and the NAAMCC collections created by Ohio artists Barbara Chavous, Pepper Johnson, Elijah Pierce, Aminah Robinson and others.

Kojo explained his artistic approach before his passing: “Photography allows me the opportunity to communicate with the world.  I have been fortunate to have enjoyed the fruits of photography for over fifty years and I have always been interested in sharing my artwork with the community.”  

NAAMCC will host a special event for the exhibit on Saturday, May 13. With their paid admission, visitors can attend:

• 10:30 a.m.— 11:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast reception
• 11: 30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.  Special Express Yourself Saturday photo collage workshop
• 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.  Celebration of Kojo Kamau with a tribute by Columbus poet Barbara Fant and a special African dance performance by the Thiossane Institute of Columbus.
• Riddle’s Ribs and Bar-B-Que Pop-up café will be open 11:00 am – 4:00 p.m. for lunch.

Other current NAAMCC exhibits include: The Voices of the Revolution; and Celebrating Our Past and Embracing Our Future: The History of Wilberforce University. The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center is located at 1350 Brush Row Road in Wilberforce, Ohio. Museum hours are 9:00am – 4:00pm Wednesday through Saturday. Admission prices are:  $6 reg. admission; $5 seniors, active military & AAA members; $3 children (ages 6-17 yrs.). Admission is always free to Ohio History Connection & NAAMCC members and children under 6.

For more information, call NAAMCC at 800-752-2603 ext. 2113 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/naamcc