Cecil McDonald, Jr. (B. 1965, Chicago) is most interested in the intersections of masculinity, familial relations, and black culture's artistic and intellectual pursuits, particularly as this culture intersects with and informs the larger culture. Through photography, video, and dance/performance, he investigates and questions the norms and customs governing our understanding of each other, our families, and the myriad of societal struggles and triumphs. His photographs and monographs are in the collections of, The Cleveland Museum of Art and The Museum Of Contemporary, among others. McDonald studied fashion, house music, and dance club culture before receiving an MFA in Photography at Columbia College Chicago. Currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Photography Department at Columbia College Chicago and lecturer in the Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute. His most recent project, The Heat of the Cool, published by Birds Trapped In Airports, was published in 2023; McDonald calls the storied south side of Chicago his home and creative wellspring.
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Cecil McDonald Jr. has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $5,692 raised of $5,000 goal
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In the Company of Black is a photography publication that will bring together images of black people who represent everyday folks. For the past seven years, I have developed a body of work that focuses on portraits of extraordinarily, ordinary …
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- $6,525 raised of $6,000 goal
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Encouraged by the healing and regenerative power of art, I’m bringing a new public project called Joy Ride: An Odyssey in Black to the streets of Bronzeville on Chicago’s South Side. This project is inspired by West African traditions that …
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