Inaugural 'Through Sleet's Eyes Festival' begins today

Feb. 24—The debut of the "Through Sleet's Eyes Festival," a free all-ages tribute to Owensboro native and photojournalist Moneta Sleet Jr., will begin Friday, Feb. 24 and run through Saturday, Feb. 25 at the RiverPark Center.

Born in Owensboro in February 1926, Sleet graduated from Kentucky State College (now Kentucky State University) in 1947 and received a masters degree in journalism from New York University in 1950.

Sleet became known for his works being featured in publications like "Ebony" magazine, detailing and photographing iconic moments from the civil rights movement.

In 1969, Sleet became the first Black American to win the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his photograph of Coretta Scott King at the funeral of her husband, Martin Luther King Jr.

Emmy Woosley, festival chair and graduate of the 2021 Leadership Owensboro class, said she and her class were initially looking to have a public bronze sculpture of Sleet installed in the city before deciding to have a portrait made by local artist and educator K.O. Lewis to rotate throughout the community.

According to the festival's website, the portrait unveiling "was a catalyst that compelled an array of interested local entities to come together to amplify Sleet's story on a much larger scale," which led to the festival's creation.

"It's absolutely incredible to see this event getting ready to take place in our community," she said. "I'm just excited to see people come together and celebrate as a community, because this is something special that lots of us have put time and effort into.

"I'm so excited and honored to be a part of this," said Mike Johnson, festival committee member. "This is historic."

The festival begins with two school performances of the one-man play "The Power of the Lens" at 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. at the RiverPark Center as part of the facility's Arts Teach Kids (ATK) program. Written and performed by Jeremy Gillett, the play was inspired by Sleet's life and uses the book, "Special Moments in African American History: The Photographs of Moneta Sleet, Jr.," to showcase his legacy and impact.

"A Witness to History," an exhibit of Sleet's most famous works, will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and will continue at 6 p.m. Saturday inside the lobby of the RiverPark Center.

Music will be provided by the Owensboro Symphony Jazz Trio on Friday, and by students from the Daviess County Public Schools Owensboro Public Schools, along with Londun Randolph, on Saturday.

A guided walkthrough tour of the exhibit will be offered at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Photos in the exhibit are sourced from the Johnson Publishing Company Archive, courtesy of the Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Smithsonian Institution and curated by Bob Morris, photographer and former publisher of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.

"Voices of Elmwood: Moneta Sleet Sr. Monologue," presented in partnership with the Owensboro Museum of Science & History, will begin at 6:20 p.m. Friday.

"Community Conversation: An Evening with Ozier Muhammad" will allow attendees to engage with the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and Sleet's former colleague at 6:30 p.m. Friday inside the Jody Berry Cabaret Theatre, courtesy of Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline.

"Community Conversation with Festival Creatives," courtesy of Southern Star, will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday. The panel will include Gillett, Morris and festival committee member and filmmaker Drew Hardesty.

A documentary, "A Fine Remembrance," will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday inside Cannon Hall. The film consists of interviews collected by Woosley and Hardesty that took place in multiple states that "tell Sleet's story through a more personal lens" and "conveying the story of Sleet as a student, coworker, friend and father."

"This documentary has kind of been a labor of love, and it's exciting to finally reveal this especially to ... the Sleet family," Hardesty said. "But then it's going to be ... a little sad because it's over (now) that this great big project has come to an end.

"Hopefully, the documentary can live on in the community, maybe at the library or the Neblett Center, so that way it's not just one time we're thinking about Sleet and learning about Sleet. It's something that can be learned about for years to come."

Owensboro Men's Mass Community Choir will provide entertainment, while a public viewing of "The Power of the Lens" will also be presented.

Other events include an exhibition of Sleet's work at the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art from the museum's permanent collection from noon to 5 p.m. Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday.

Thressa DeGrandchamp, who was photographed in Sleet's 1953 black-and-white image "Street Scene," will be at the museum for a reception at 3 p.m. Friday.

Bob Bruck, former photographer and retired city editor for the Messenger-Inquirer, and Keith Lawrence, retired reporter for the M-I, will also be in attendance to talk about meeting DeGrandchamp in October 1997 and being able to photograph DeGrandchamp in the same place Sleet snapped a shot of her 70 years ago in Blue Heaven, West Virginia.

Attendees are also encouraged to visit the Moneta Sleet Jr. Park at 616 Walnut St.

Woosley and Johnson hope attendees will learn more about Sleet and be inspired by his efforts.

"They're going to hear what a gentle giant and what a humble and kind person he was," Woosley said, "and we should all strive to be more like that."

"I hope that people are able to connect to the history of one of our own here in Owensboro and that they leave with a sense of belonging and connectivity to somebody that pretty much showed the history of the civil rights movement that impacted everybody," Johnson said.

For more information, visit tsefest.org.