Sheila Pree Bright

#1960Now 3

Sheila Pree Bright Biography Sheila Pree Bright is an internationally recognized photographer whose powerful lens-based practice explores identity, culture, and the complexities of contemporary history. Known for her expansive series Plastic Bodies, Suburbia, #1960Now, Invisible Empire, and Young Americans, Bright has consistently challenged and expanded the language of American photography. Bright gained widespread acclaim for her celebrated book #1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests, which pairs the legacy of the 1960s movement with the urgent call for justice in the present day. Her evocative images of the 1990s Hip Hop scene further demonstrate her ability to document cultural shifts with both intimacy and critical depth. Through these projects, Bright’s images reveal untold narratives that confront stereotypes and highlight the power of community, resistance, and visibility. Sheila Pree Bright was born in 1967 in Waycross, Georgia. She studied photography at Georgia State University, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree that laid the foundation for her conceptual and socially engaged practice. Her upbringing in the South has deeply influenced the way she photographs themes of race, identity, and place, situating her work within broader conversations on American culture and history. Sheila Pree Bright’s career extends beyond photography into publications, film, and collaborations. Her work is featured in the influential book and exhibition Posing Beauty in African American Culture. She was prominently included in the 2014 documentary Through the Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People and appeared in the 2016 film Election Day: Lens Across America. In addition to her acclaimed monograph #1960Now, Bright has been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times. She has also received significant honors, including the Picturing Southcommission from the High Museum of Art for her series Invisible Empire. Sheila Pree Bright’s photographs are held in major public collections such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, and The Do Good Fund in Columbus, Georgia. Her series are archived at leading research libraries, including Rice University’s Woodson Research Center, Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, and Duke University’s David M. Rubinstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Internationally, her work has been exhibited at institutions such as the Saatchi Gallery in London and the Art Gallery of Hamilton in Canada, alongside U.S. presentations at the International Center of Photography, the Harvard Art Museums, and the High Museum of Art. Jackson Fine Art has been a longtime supporter of Sheila Pree Bright presenting her photographs in two solo shows, The Rebirth of Us (2023) and #1960Now (2020), that highlight her place as a leading voice in contemporary photography.