About the Exhibition
Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971 explores the rich history of Black participation in US cinema from its beginnings to just beyond the civil rights movement. Inspired by and named after an independent all-Black-cast movie from 1923, Regeneration seeks to revive lost or forgotten films, filmmakers, and performers for a contemporary audience.
Moviemaking has always been instrumental in shaping culture, and Black artists and entrepreneurs have been involved from the start despite racism and prejudices that limited their opportunities. By examining Black participation in film over a 70-year period, Regeneration showcases the long-standing relationship between film and Black visual culture. It highlights the agency many artists asserted in their respective crafts despite challenges, revealing their tenacity, immense talent, and unwavering commitment to creative expression.
Microsite
The over 225 original objects on view in Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971 include never-before-shown costume drawings from Carmen Jones (USA, 1954), promotional glamour portraits of dozens of leading Black film stars, costumes worn by Lena Horne in Stormy Weather (USA, 1943) and Sammy Davis, Jr. in Porgy and Bess (USA, 1959), and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets. The exhibition also features rarely seen excerpts of films restored by the Academy Film Archive and clips from other narrative films, documentaries, newsreels, and home movies.
Exhibition Catalogue
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Regeneration was co-curated by the Academy Museum’s Vice President of Curatorial Affairs Doris Berger and the National Portrait Gallery’s Director of Curatorial Affairs Rhea L. Combs, with the Academy Museum’s Assistant Curator J. Raúl Guzmán as well as Research Assistants Manouchka Kelly Labouba and Emily Rauber Rodriguez.
Throughout the development of the exhibition, the curatorial team collaborated with an advisory panel, which included Charles Burnett, filmmaker and Academy Member; Ava DuVernay, filmmaker and Academy member; Michael B. Gillespie, associate professor, Media Communication Arts, City College of New York; Shola Lynch, filmmaker, Academy member, and curator, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library; Ron Magliozzi, curator of film, Museum of Modern Art, New York; Ellen C. Scott, associate professor and head of Cinema and Media Studies, UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television; and Jacqueline N. Stewart, chief artistic and programming officer, Academy Museum, and professor of Cinema and Media Studies, University of Chicago.
Supported By
Regeneration was the recipient of the 2018 Sotheby’s Prize. The Sotheby’s Prize was founded to support and encourage museums to break new ground by recognizing curatorial excellence and facilitating an upcoming exhibition that explores overlooked or underrepresented art history. The Sotheby’s Prize was awarded by a jury of museum curators and directors comprising Sir Nicholas Serota, Donna De Salvo, Okwui Enwezor (1963–2019), Connie Butler, Emilie Gordenker, and chaired by Allan Schwartzman.
Regeneration was made possible in part by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie®. Lead support provided by Campari® and J. P. Morgan Private Bank. Generous support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, and Octavia Spencer. Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Top image: Installation view of Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, photo by Joshua White, JW Pictures/©Academy Museum Foundation.