Grier photos illuminate three decades of 'White People'

You'll see Jerry Springer the day he was elected mayor. And Pete Rose the day he was banned from baseball. And Morgana the Kissing Bandit, best known for her on-field displays of affection, walking through downtown Cincinnati wearing just a bikini and flanked by security guards.

In 33 years of work as a photographer for The Cincinnati Post, Melvin Grier captured images with heart and soul. Beginning April 30, one of the largest collections of his work, "White People: A Retrospective" will be exhibited at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center.

Grier, who has often found himself the only black man in the room at Greater Cincinnati events, says the show offers a new perspective on his body of award-winning work.  "Through the years we have seen various studies of black people done by white people, but to my knowledge never the reverse," says Grier, 69, whose photos have been published in Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, US, Ebony, Jet and Advertising Age.  

Of the more than 60 images in the show, Grier has a hard time picking favorites. Among the celebrities and politicians, though, he says one of a woman at the Butler County Fair wearing a political statement written on a reconstructed box on her head stands out in his memory. "It's kind of like having a protest sign attached to your head," he says. "It was great because it was something different."

Grier's ability to photograph "something different" in a wide range of situations has helped him garner awards from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and United Press International. He was the 2004 Robert Duncanson Artist In Residence at the Taft Museum and has had his work displayed at the Arts Consortium of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Art Museum, among other venues.

While this exhibit, and a companion narrative by award-winning author and journalist Kathy Y. Wilson, address race and the politics of being seen, for Grier, each image reflects his passion for his work. Behind the lens, his focus has always been clear.

"The only thing I ever thought about was the photograph," he says.

Do Good:
• Get a sneak peek. Visit Melvin Grier's website for more information about the Cincinnati photographer and his work.

• Support the show and the Kennedy Heights Arts Center. Make a donation or volunteer for one of the center's many programs.

• See 'White People.' The show runs from April 30 through June 4, 2011.

By Elissa Yancey

Photo courtesy of Melvin Grier