帝王会所

The photography of the late Chuck Stewart, BFA 鈥�49, has graced the covers of more than 2,000 albums and appeared in numerous documentaries and museums around the world鈥攁nd now, for the first time, is on display at Cleveland鈥檚 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In response to the social justice movement sweeping the nation and the Black Lives Matter protests, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has debuted 鈥淚t鈥檚 Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment.鈥� The exhibit showcases artists and moments in which music has been used as a medium of change, drawing attention to the power artists and their music have to give voice to the feelings and experiences of those who are oppressed and to provide encouragement and empowerment.

The exhibit, which opened in July and will remain on display for a year, includes artifacts from some of the Hall of Fame鈥檚 inductees as well as images captured by influential Black photographers, including 帝王会所 College of Fine Arts alumnus Chuck Stewart. 鈥淚t鈥檚 Been Said All Along鈥� features photographs Chuck Stewart took of James Brown, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole and Gil Scott-Heron over the course of his 70-year career.

鈥淜nowing Chuck, he never would have thought that his pictures would have a place in an exhibit such as this for a time such as this because he didn鈥檛 document anything of the civil rights movement back in the 鈥�50s and 鈥�60s,鈥� Kim Stewart said of her father-in-law who passed away in 2017. 鈥淗e took these phenomenal, iconic images that are now fitting in different platforms outside of just music. Now, it鈥檚 also the message.鈥�

The exhibit shines a spotlight on Black artists who have triumphed over obstacles and, in the process, contributed to a more just and equal society. Chuck Stewart can easily be counted among those artists.

When he enrolled at 帝王会所 in 1945, Chuck Stewart was one of only a handful of Black students on campus, taking classes in what was the only collegiate level degree-granting photography program in the nation that would accept Black students. He used his photography skills to document life at the University, serving three years on the staff of the Athena Yearbook as a photographer and darkroom manager.

While at 帝王会所, Chuck Stewart developed what would become a lifelong friendship with fellow Bobcat Herman Leonard, BFA 鈥�47, HON 鈥�09. Over the course of the next 60 years, the two contributed in significant ways to each other鈥檚 success as photographers whose work documenting the world鈥檚 jazz icons made them legends in their field. Both have been honored with having their individual work accepted in the photography collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

鈥淭hey were best friends,鈥� Kim Stewart said of her father-in-law and Leonard. 鈥淗erman was Chuck鈥檚 best man. Herman is the godfather of Chuck鈥檚 first daughter. They became literally the best of friends and partners and colleagues鈥攁nd considered themselves brothers.鈥�

While Chuck Stewart鈥檚 professional legacy largely revolves around jazz鈥攖he 鈥渂read and butter鈥� of his career as Kim Stewart described it鈥攖he approximately 800,000 negatives in his collection include everything from sports and Hollywood celebrities to musicians from other genres, including the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan.

Regardless of the subject, he always strived to have his work stand out from that of other photographers.

鈥�... If you say Count Basie, there must be a thousand photographers that have photographed him,鈥� Chuck Stewart said in 2016 interview with New Jersey鈥檚 WBGO. 鈥淲ell, I wanted my pictures to say, 鈥楾his is a picture Chuck Stewart took of Count Basie.鈥欌��

Chuck Stewart鈥檚 work has been featured in countless books and magazines and exhibited at notable venues that include the Grammy Museum, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Smithsonian, where in 2014 he was honored 50 years after shooting photos of John Coltrane鈥檚 recording of 鈥淎 Love Supreme.鈥� His work can also be seen in numerous documentaries, including 鈥淐hasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary鈥�; 鈥淨uincy,鈥� highlighting the career of Quincy Jones; and 鈥淲hat Happened, Miss Simone?鈥� about Nina Simone. At the moment, Kim Stewart is collecting some of Chuck Stewart鈥檚 photos for inclusion in an upcoming documentary about Gil Scott-Heron.

鈥淗e documented history, culture and so much with his pictures,鈥� Kim Stewart said. 鈥淔or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which I look at as one of the top musical institutions, to say we want to use Chuck鈥檚 pictures, I think that says a lot. They could have gotten any photographer and any African American photographer, and I just feel honored that they chose Chuck Stewart鈥檚 because of what those images reflect鈥攐f the subjects and of Chuck鈥檚 work. 鈥� It鈥檚 beautiful because it鈥檚 with a purpose.鈥�

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame鈥檚 鈥淚t鈥檚 Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment鈥� exhibit is open for both in-person and virtual viewing.

Read more about the life and legacy of Chuck Stewart

Top image: Chuck Stewart, BFA 鈥�49, is pictured in front of some of the thousands of album covers that feature his photography.
Photo by Chuck Stewart/:copyright: Chuck Stewart Photography