New Photography Exhibit To Showcase Uniqueness Of Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD - From the Maryland Historical Society: The Maryland Historical Society will open Unscripted Moments: The Life and Photography of Joseph Kohl, an exhibition celebrating one of Baltimore's most distinctive photojournalists and fine art photographers.

Unscripted Moments showcases Baltimore in the 1980s and 1990s through the extraordinary eye of local photographer Joseph Kohl (1957-2002). The massive 55,000-piece photograph collection was almost lost after Kohl's untimely death but saved at the last minute by by exhibit co-curator Linda Day Clark and her husband, the late photographer Carl Clark. The photos in Unscripted Moments provide an invaluable and evocative record of the city drawn from Kohl's professional work and personal snapshots, including many images never before published or exhibited. Joe Tropea Curator of Films and Photographs at MdHS exclaims, "I hope that people will see what Joe Kohl realized: Baltimore is a unique and beautiful place, but almost never in ways that you would expect to find something beautiful."

Kohl's subject matter ranged from political protests, sidewalk scenes, and animal curiosities to the city's underground music scene and workers on The Block. Kohl's warmly rendered portraits of friends, models, and strangers are a highlight of the exhibition. Exhibition co-curator J.M. Giordano, photo editor at Baltimore City Paper says, "I loved seeing a period in time in Baltimore, the 80s and 90s, that's fast becoming as historical as a 18th century painting. I want people to see in a lot of Joe's work, the city's LGBTQ+ history that was previously hidden underground."

Like a time capsule from the end of the last century, Unscripted Momentsoffers a whirlwind panorama of city life. What emerges is a vision of Baltimore that's open-hearted, raw, cosmopolitan and compassionate-a portrait of a photographer who exposed his love for the city and all of its variety in every shot.

Exhibition Programming
Opening Reception is on Thursday, November 9 from 6:30 to 9:30 P.M.at the Maryland Historical Society. Music will be provided by DJ Landis Expandis. Beer will be served by Waverly Brewing Company, with themed light fare and a signature cocktail for the evening prepared by Chef Shirlé Hale-Koslowski of Four Corners Cuisine and Baby's On Fire cafe. This event is free to the public.

• A reception for the satellite exhibition at The Windup Space (12 North Avenue) is on November 17, 2017 at 7:00pm. This satellite exhibition will remain on view throughout the month of November and features photos not on display in the MdHS main exhibition. This event is free to the public.

Read more about the exhibition:
https://www.mdhs.org/Unscripted-Moments

About the Artist

Joseph Kohl was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, but raised in Odenton, Maryland and graduated from Arundel High School in Gambrills. While still a student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, he began working in photojournalism as an intern at The Baltimore Sun before graduating with a degree in fine arts. Kohl contributed photos to the News American, City Paper, Afro-American, Village Voice, Catholic Review, Easy Rider, and countless other publications. The last few years of his life were spent as a staff photographer at the Baltimore Business Journal. Kohl died in 2003, eight months after being diagnosed with leukemia.

About the Curators
The curators of Unscripted Moments include Linda Day Clark, nationally-exhibited photographer and Professor of Fine of Arts at Coppin State University; J.M. Giordano, photo editor at Baltimore City Paper and award-winning photojournalist; Josh Sisk, award-winning professional arts and culture photographer; and Joe Tropea, award-winning filmmaker and Curator of Films and Photographs at MdHS.

About the Maryland Historical Society
Founded in 1844, the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) is the state's oldest continuously operating cultural institution. In keeping with the founders' commitment to preserve the remnants of Maryland's past, MdHS remains the premier institution for state history. With over 350,000 objects and seven million books and documents, this institution now serves upward of 100,000 people through its museum, library, press, and educational programs.

For more information about the Maryland Historical Society call 410-685-3750 or visit MdHS.org.

Photo by Joseph Kohl; Image contributed by Maryland Historical Society