Joe McCauley Gallery presents exhibit Little Black Boy

A series of photography by acclaimed artist Rashod Taylor on display at Heartland Community College offers a glimpse into childhood through the eyes of a father. 

The Joe McCauley Gallery at Heartland presents Taylor’s collection Little Black Boy from March 14 to May 13, 2022. 

The artist’s unique work has been featured recently in National Geographic and The Atlantic magazine. 

Taylor works with larger format cameras and captures images through the wet collodion process on glass plates, a method that produces tintypes: a category of photograph that was most popular in the 1860s and has been recently revived as a novelty art form. In exercising this portrait medium, Taylor’s work causes its viewers to make connections to history while contemplating its present existence, themes, and subject matter. 

“My work addresses themes of race, culture, family, and legacy and these images are a kind of family album, filled with friends and family, birthdays, vacations, and everyday life. At the same time, these images tell you more than my family story; they’re a window into the Black American experience,” said Taylor. “As I document my son, I am interested in examining his childhood and the world he navigates.”

The exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays during regular Gallery hours. Taylor will also participate in two open-to-the-the public events on Heartland’s Normal campus.

• Artist Talk: Astroth Community Education Center Auditorium, April 11 at 11:00 a.m.
• Gallery Reception: Joe McCauley Gallery, April 11 from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

About the Joe McCauley Gallery

Exhibits, events, and parking at Heartland’s Joe McCauley Gallery are free. The Gallery is in room 2507 of the Instructional Commons Building (ICB) on Heartland's Normal campus, 1500 W. Raab Road.

• View the campus map at https://www.heartland.edu/documents/about/hccCampusMap.pdf

Hours are Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (on days the College is open). Appointments for groups can also be made upon request.

For more information about this exhibit, visit https://www.heartland.edu/artGallery or contact Gallery Coordinator, Shahrbanoo Hamzeh at Shahrbanoo.Hamzeh@heartland.edu.