Award-winning photographer Amadou Kromah’s artwork will be featured at Madison Central Library this summer in an exhibition titled “Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade,” which will honor his creative journey that began when he was 15 years old and continues to evolve with every project.
“Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade” will be on display from May 28 to August 1 in the Diane Endres Ballweg Gallery on the third floor of the Madison Public Library, 201 W Mifflin St.
“I’ve worked on a couple of different projects with the library in the past, and I was so grateful that they reached out to me because they were looking for a presenting artist for their exhibit for a couple of months,” Kromah says. “When they reached out to me, I said, ‘Absolutely!’ This is an amazing opportunity for me.”
Last November, Kromah hosted “A Photographic Journey: Preserving Art and Culture for a Decade by Amadou Kromah,” at the Common Wealth Gallery in downtown Madison, where attendees could see some of the highlights of Kromah’s great photography work over the last decade.
“I’ll have all of my past work that I had at my first gallery, and then I will also have some of the work that I have from working with The Bubbler in the past, and then I will have a very nice-sized picture of mine from some photos that I took down at the Mad Lit shows in downtown Madison,” Kromah says.
“‘Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade’ is both a celebration and a reflection,” Kromah says. “Obviously, it’s a lot of my work, but it is also a representation of the community that I have worked in, and the things that I admire in the community, things that I’ve seen around the world, things that I’ve shot personally with people who grew up here in Madison, and local events I’ve shot.”
Kromah has been an important community photographer here in Madison, capturing key people and events and the depth of Black life in Madison. He has taken photos of performing artists such as Boyz II Men, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti LaBelle, and Wynton Marsalis as they have visited Madison. But he also likes to take photos during his travels around the country, including Chicago and Las Vegas, and on his trips to West Africa, where he has family.
“I enjoy featuring a lot of art from my 10 years, and I think this is a bridge between my culture and community,” he says. “I think there’s always a story with everybody. I feel like this exhibit at Central Library will be a continuation of my first gallery that I had, but I will be sharing it in a different way.”
Kromah says that he grew up on the South Side of Madison and learned early that “every face and every space has a story worth telling.” He says his goal is to inspire others to value the art and culture that surrounds them every day.
“For me, photography is about preserving a story, a feeling, and a moment in time that speaks to where we’ve been and where we’re going,” he says.
What’s the key to being a good photographer?
“Being a good storyteller, and also being able to recognize that everybody has a story,” Kromah says. “It could absolutely be from your neighbor, the person down the block, a local bus driver, anything like that … it can literally be from anybody in the community. I think I would really love to see people being able to connect with the community more.”
Trust is important for a photographer, he adds, and “it’s so much easier when everybody feels comfortable.”
Kromah has taken a lot of pictures over the last decade, but he says his favorite is the “catch the wind” photo he took at a park (below).
“I think absolutely that was my favorite when it comes to just capturing joy, and then also capturing the feeling as well. The young girl that I shot with, she grew up here in Madison, and it was great to capture her joy in that photo,” Kromah says. “You don’t see that as much when it comes to kids going out outside and just having fun and enjoying life. It was just a great photo of a kid being a kid.”
The opening night for “Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade” will take place on Thursday, May 28, 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the 3rd floor of Central Library. It will be a chance to meet the artist behind the beautiful new photography exhibition that will be viewable all summer.
“The opening night reception will give people a chance to talk to me about photography or community or whatever they want to talk about. We will have light refreshments and some music,” Kromah says. “Hopefully, attendees will be able to connect with other people in the community. I like having these exhibits, to not only show off my work, but to also have a space for people to connect.”
“Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade” will run through Aug. 1. This exhibition was made possible with support from the Madison Public Library Foundation.
