LOS ANGELES, CA—Today, the Skirball Cultural Center unveiled the first details of three new exhibitions opening October 21, 2023.

This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement
October 21, 2023–February 25, 2024
This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement presents the visions and voices of a group of photographers who committed themselves to the crucial cause of the Southern Freedom Movement in the 1960s. More than 150 photographs by Bob Adelman, George “Elfie” Ballis, Bob Fitch, Bob Fletcher, Matt Herron, David Prince, Herbert Randall, Maria Varela, and Tamio Wakayama reveal the daily life, struggle, and strength of disenfranchised Black communities, and the vital work undertaken by a broad coalition of activists during the Civil Rights Movement, particularly within the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Unlike photojournalists who only reported on breaking news events from an outsider’s perspective, these nine photographers—of different ethnic, racial, religious, and geographic backgrounds—lived within the Movement and documented its activities by focusing on local people and socially-engaged students to portray community life as well as protest. In addition to the photographs, the exhibition will include audio recordings of the photographers recalling their time in the Movement, as well as protest music, posters, newspapers, and informational booklets from the 1960s. Featuring SNCC photographs, these objects reveal how the organization used photography to raise awareness of their activism. The final section of the Skirball’s presentation highlights the enduring fight for voting rights taking place in Los Angeles and across the country, offering a way forward as our society continues to grapple with anti-Black violence and broad discrimination and disenfranchisement.

This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement is presented by the Center for Documentary Expression and Art and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

RECLAIMED: A Family Painting
October 21, 2023–March 3, 2024
Immerse yourself in the journey of one family—and one painting—from Czechoslovakia to contemporary Los Angeles. RECLAIMED: A Family Painting tells the story of three generations of women who spent over eighty years trying to recover what the Nazis had stolen from their Jewish family during the Holocaust. Featuring imaginative evocations of the family’s home, this spotlight exhibition is grounded in the provenance of a beloved Baroque painting by artist Johann Carl Loth. Take a seat at the dining room table, above which the painting was once displayed, and become immersed in the Bloch family's pre-war art collection and historic furniture. Among the artifacts on view are family photographs, letters, clothing, and suitcases that tell this dramatic story of loss, survival, and restitution. The exhibition presents information about the New York State Department of Financial Services Holocaust Claims Processing Office—a government agency that provides institutional assistance to victims and their families seeking to recover assets that were lost, stolen, or “sold” under duress due to Nazi persecution prior to and during World War II. It will also showcase heirless Jewish ritual objects recovered by the Jewish Cultural Reconstruction in the aftermath of the Holocaust and subsequently donated to the Skirball. By shedding light on personal and institutional efforts, this original exhibition will introduce visitors to the important work of heritage reclamation.

The American Library by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA
October 21, 2023–September 1, 2024
An imaginative portrait of a nation by internationally recognized artist Yinka Shonibare, The American Library explores how ideas of citizenship, home, and nationalism hold complex meanings. This exhibition creates a library setting where shelves are filled with more than six thousand books individually wrapped in Shonibare’s signature Dutch wax printed cotton textiles. Each book bears a name on its spine of notable American individuals. First- and second- generation immigrants and those affected by the Great Migration are featured alongside one another. A further set of books features the names of people who have spoken out against immigration, equality, or diversity in America. This juxtaposition touches on current debates on immigration and invites viewers to consider the varied people and cultural sources that inform our sense of history and culture, and thus shape our own sense of belonging. As part of the Skirball’s presentation of The American Library, visitors of all ages will have opportunities to share and reflect on their own families’ immigration stories. The American Library is part of an ongoing library series by Shonibare that explores patterns of migration and cultural exchange; past works include The British Library and The African Library.

“These three exhibitions make very real and relevant the abstract concepts that form the mission of the Skirball. The stories these objects and histories tell are at once both distinctly Jewish and quintessentially American. Whether it's through a photograph of the daily challenges faced by student protestors in the South, the memory of one refugee family's journey, or a wall of color representing a country of co-mingling, these new exhibitions invite visitors to make new connections. I'm excited to see what those connections inspire,” said Jessie Kornberg, Skirball Cultural Center President and CEO.

Ticketing for the Fall 2023 Exhibitions
Tickets for the Skirball Cultural Center’s Fall Exhibitions will be released on Thursday, September 7, at 10:00 am PST. Pricing: $18 General; $15 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $13 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2.

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This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement exhibition and its related educational programs at the Skirball Cultural Center are made possible by support from US Bank and Christine and Patrick O’Donnell.

RECLAIMED: A Family Painting exhibition and its related educational programs are made possible by support from Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary.

The American Library exhibition and its related educational programs are made possible by lead donors Alicia Miñana and Rob Lovelace with additional support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebekah and Howard Farber, and US Bank.

About the Skirball
The Skirball Cultural Center is a place of meeting guided by the Jewish tradition of welcoming the stranger and inspired by the American democratic ideals of freedom and equality. We welcome people of all communities and generations to participate in cultural experiences that celebrate discovery and hope, foster human connections, and call upon us to help build a more just society. 

Visiting the Skirball
The Skirball is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049. Museum hours: Tuesday–Friday, 12:00–5:00 pm; Saturday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm; closed Mondays and holidays. Admission to the Skirball’s current exhibitions Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare include General Admission. Special Pricing: $18 General; $15 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $13 Children 2–12. Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light and Chloë Bass: Wayfinding will be included with admission to Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare, or as part of General Admission: $12 General; $9 Seniors, Full-Time Students, and Children over 12; $7 Children 2–12. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2. The permanent exhibition Noah’s Ark at the Skirball is ticketed separately. Exhibitions are always free to Skirball Members and Children under 2. Advance timed-entry reservations are recommended. For general information, the public may call (310) 440-4500 or visit skirball.org.