Milton Rogovin (1909-2011) Memorial Service and Exhibition: May 21
The life and work of famed photographer Milton Rogovin will be celebrated on Saturday, May 21, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in Upton Hall’s Warren Enters Theatre. A retrospective of Rogovin’s work will be held in Upton Hall’s Czurles-Nelson Gallery from noon to 6:00 p.m.
For over 50 years, Milton Rogovin’s lens captured images of the poor and working class. His gritty, black and white photographs, shot on locations ranging from Buffalo’s East Side and Lower West Side to Appalachia, China, Chile, and other countries, documented those who Rogovin referred to as the "forgotten ones." The artist’s legacy, certainly, will not be forgotten.
Rogovin’s career was intrinsically entwined with the City of Buffalo. The artist lived here for most of his adult life with his wife, educator and Buffalo State alumna Anne Rogovin, ’40, ’62. Further, Buffalo's Lower West Side provided the setting for some of the photographer’s best known work.
An optometrist by trade, Rogovin turned to photography in the late 1950s after effectively losing his business due to his political views. During the McCarthy era, Rogovin was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, but refused to “name names.” His political voice silenced, Rogovin realized he could make people aware of social and economic inequities through photography.
Rogovin took a unique approach to portraiture by showing two sides of life: men and women working at their jobs and relaxing at home. Significantly, the photographer never posed his subjects, rather, he simply asked them to look at the camera.
In 2009, the college and Burchfield Penney Art Center celebrated the artist’s 100th birthday with a two-day symposium. On January 18, 2011, shortly after his 101st birthday, Rogovin passed away.
Among many other prestigious institutions, Rogovin's work is owned by the Library of Congress, which holds 1,500 photographs and negatives, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Santa Monica.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College became a major repository for Rogovin's work thanks to a generous gift of 225 photographs donated by Robert M. and Mary Ann Budin in 2001.
The Burchfield Penney is curating the retrospective of Rogovin’s work that will be shown in Czurles-Nelson Gallery and providing images for the memorial. "The Burchfield Penney Art Center has the world’s third largest collection of Rogovin’s work with over 1,000 photographs," said Scott Propeack, associate director of exhibitions and collections at the Burchfield Penney.
"During the memorial, we will display a representation of each series that the artist worked on. For the exhibition in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery, we will present over 20 works from throughout Rogovin's career."
No R.S.V.P. is required for the memorial, which is free and open to the public.
Photo credit: Robert Kalman
For over 50 years, Milton Rogovin’s lens captured images of the poor and working class. His gritty, black and white photographs, shot on locations ranging from Buffalo’s East Side and Lower West Side to Appalachia, China, Chile, and other countries, documented those who Rogovin referred to as the "forgotten ones." The artist’s legacy, certainly, will not be forgotten.
Rogovin’s career was intrinsically entwined with the City of Buffalo. The artist lived here for most of his adult life with his wife, educator and Buffalo State alumna Anne Rogovin, ’40, ’62. Further, Buffalo's Lower West Side provided the setting for some of the photographer’s best known work.
An optometrist by trade, Rogovin turned to photography in the late 1950s after effectively losing his business due to his political views. During the McCarthy era, Rogovin was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, but refused to “name names.” His political voice silenced, Rogovin realized he could make people aware of social and economic inequities through photography.
Rogovin took a unique approach to portraiture by showing two sides of life: men and women working at their jobs and relaxing at home. Significantly, the photographer never posed his subjects, rather, he simply asked them to look at the camera.
In 2009, the college and Burchfield Penney Art Center celebrated the artist’s 100th birthday with a two-day symposium. On January 18, 2011, shortly after his 101st birthday, Rogovin passed away.
Among many other prestigious institutions, Rogovin's work is owned by the Library of Congress, which holds 1,500 photographs and negatives, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Santa Monica.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College became a major repository for Rogovin's work thanks to a generous gift of 225 photographs donated by Robert M. and Mary Ann Budin in 2001.
The Burchfield Penney is curating the retrospective of Rogovin’s work that will be shown in Czurles-Nelson Gallery and providing images for the memorial. "The Burchfield Penney Art Center has the world’s third largest collection of Rogovin’s work with over 1,000 photographs," said Scott Propeack, associate director of exhibitions and collections at the Burchfield Penney.
"During the memorial, we will display a representation of each series that the artist worked on. For the exhibition in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery, we will present over 20 works from throughout Rogovin's career."
No R.S.V.P. is required for the memorial, which is free and open to the public.
Photo credit: Robert Kalman
Media Contact:
Mark A. Norris, Associate Director, Web Administration | 7168785569 | norrisma1@buffalostate.edu