The Black Photographer: The Jazz Photographs of Bill May

Part of the 2023 Black History celebration this exhibit showcases the photography of William M. May.

We could do multiple programs revolving around Bill May and his amazing career which includes a 26 year stint as principal bassist in the NJ Pops Symphony Orchestra and as Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Newark Public Schools.

The photography portion of that career includes an extensive collection of photos featuring legends populating a rich Newark jazz scene. Those pictures and Mr. May’s career are the focus of our first in-person Black History Celebration opening since 2019, a panel discussion featuring Mr. May, and two other legends, Wayne Winborne, Executive Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark and “Newark’s First Lady of Jazz” and NEA Jazz Master, Dorthaan Kirk.