Exhibit: Cousins

Thai Tea, from Kristen Emack’s Photography series, Cousins

Exhibition:  Cousins
September 11 – October 12, 2023
Main Library, L2
Gallery Hours
Monday – Thursday, 5-9 pm
Saturday, 9-5
Sunday, 1-5

Kristen Emack has been photographing her daughter and nieces for over a decade.  “There is something sacred about the lives of girls, and their innocent, confident relationships to themselves, their world and one another is gravitational,” explains Emack.  She has captured the girls’ childhood in an unfiltered way as they move with confidence throughout Cambridge and their environment.  Her work is an undeniable celebration of Black girlhood.  “There are notable bodies of work about girlhood, but Cousins is unique.  It chronicles the lives of girls of color, which is a perspective that still remains under-embraced,” writes Emack.  “Additionally, each frame is wholly female.”  Angst or distraction does not enter the frame.  Instead it’s their connection that stays in focus, their adolescent changes are organic, subtle and unprovocative.” 

Emack is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, a MacDowell Fellow, and a Mass Cultural Council Fellow. Her work has been featured in Vogue Italia and National Geographic and has been exhibited across the United States, Northern Europe and the UK. This exhibit, Emack’s first in Cambridge, features the Library’s newly acquired photographs from Cousins and celebrates Emack’s work in the community.  View these exciting new additions to the permanent collection of Library’s Archives and Special Collections on display at the Main Library on L2.

Visit kristenjoyemack.com.

Artist Talk: Cousins

Artist Talk:  Cousins
Thursday September 21, 2023
6:30 pm
Main Library, Lecture Hall
REGISTER HERE

Join us for a panel discussion with critically acclaimed photographer and Guggenheim Fellow Kristen Emack as she explores her popular series, Cousins.  Emack will be joined by Dr. Alisa Victoria Prince, and her daughter Apple and nieces Leyah, Kayla and Layla Bernard as they discuss the process, inspiration, and impact of Cousins. 

Kristen Emack has been photographing her daughter and nieces for over a decade.  “There is something sacred about the lives of girls, and their innocent, confident relationships to themselves, their world and one another is gravitational,” explains Emack.  She has captured the girls’ childhood in an unfiltered way as they move with confidence throughout Cambridge and their environment.  Her work is an undeniable celebration of Black girlhood.  “There are notable bodies of work about girlhood, but Cousins is unique.  It chronicles the lives of girls of color, which is a perspective that still remains under-embraced,” writes Emack.  “Additionally, each frame is wholly female.”  Angst or distraction does not enter the frame.  Instead it’s their connection that stays in focus, their adolescent changes are organic, subtle and unprovocative.” 

Copies of a newly published monograph of Cousins, designed and printed in Italy by L’Artiere  with a closing essay by Dr. Alisa Victoria Prince, will also be available for purchase.

Kristen Emack is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, a MacDowell Fellow, and a Mass Cultural Council Fellow.  Her work has been featured in publications including Vogue Italia, Nat Geo, OATH, Black & White Magazine, and The Sun. Cousins has been exhibited across the United States and Europe including Helsinki, Belfast, Sweden and the UK. Kristen’s first photo book was published in Spring 2023. She is represented by Gallery Kayafas.

Alisa Victoria Prince is a scholar, artist, and curator of visual arts and artifacts of the Black diaspora.  From 2021-2022, she jointly held the Henry Luce/American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship in American Art and the Chester Dale Fellowship in the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Currently, she is a post-doctoral fellow at Boston University’s Department of Art and Architecture.

Apple Emack is in her Junior year at Cambridge Rindge and Latin and enjoys an active role in the high jump and second leg of the 4×4 relay for the track team.

Leyah Bernard is in her junior year at Cambridge Rindge and Latin and enjoys an active role in the long jump and being a sprinter for the track team.

Layla Bernard is in the 7th grade at Vassal Lane where she enjoys soccer, theater and close friendships.

Kayla Bernard is in her junior year at The New School in NYC where she is majoring in film and photography.

Exhibition: Cousins

Exhibition:  Cousins
September 11 – October 12, 2023
Main Library, L2
Gallery Hours
Monday – Thursday, 5-9 pm
Saturday, 9-5
Sunday, 1-5

Kristen Emack has been photographing her daughter and nieces for over a decade.  “There is something sacred about the lives of girls, and their innocent, confident relationships to themselves, their world and one another is gravitational,” explains Emack.  She has captured the girls’ childhood in an unfiltered way as they move with confidence throughout Cambridge and their environment.  Her work is an undeniable celebration of Black girlhood.  “There are notable bodies of work about girlhood, but Cousins is unique.  It chronicles the lives of girls of color, which is a perspective that still remains under-embraced,” writes Emack.  “Additionally, each frame is wholly female.”  Angst or distraction does not enter the frame.  Instead it’s their connection that stays in focus, their adolescent changes are organic, subtle and unprovocative.” 

Emack is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, a MacDowell Fellow, and a Mass Cultural Council Fellow. Her work has been featured in Vogue Italia and National Geographic and has been exhibited across the United States, Northern Europe and the UK. This exhibit, Emack’s first in Cambridge, features the Library’s newly acquired photographs from Cousins and celebrates Emack’s work in the community.  View these exciting new additions to the permanent collection of Library’s Archives and Special Collections on display at the Main Library on L2.

Join us for an opening reception on September 21 at 6:30 pm with a panel discussion by Kristen Emack, Dr. Alisa Victoria Prince, and cousins Apple Emack, Leyah Bernard, Kayla Bernard and Layla Bernard, as they discuss the process, inspiration, and impact of Cousins.

Visit kristenjoyemack.com.