Freedom’s Sisters
April 25, 2009 – July 5, 2009
Covering more than 100 years of extraordinary work, Freedom’s Sisters, which premiered in Cincinnati
in February 2008, has traveled to venues in Sacramento, Calif. and Memphis, Tenn., provides a detailed
overview of the path the Freedom’s Sisters took during the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibition opens in Detroit on April 25, running through July 5, 2009 and then moves to Birmingham, Ala. as part of its threeyear U.S. tour. Other cities the tour will include are Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

“This exhibition, which is part of Ford's overall commitment to celebrating American heritage, brings riveting chapters of American history to life through the legacies of 20 outstanding African American women who helped shape civil rights in America,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Freedom’s Sisters tells a story which must be told and we at Ford Motor Company Fund are committed to bring this exhibition to Detroit where it will be shared and celebrated by people of all ages and experiences.”

As a special added feature, Freedom's Sisters will honor several local prominent African American women who made a significant contribution to Detroit’s history at a press event on Friday, April 24 at 9 a.m. at the Charles H. Wright Museum. This is the first time the exhibition tour has celebrated the
achievements of African American women in a local market.

Legends of the Music - The Photography of Leni Sinclair
June, 2009 – May, 2010

The Charles H. Wright Museum is pleased to present "Legends of the Music: The Photography of
Leni Sinclair" as its latest exhibition, during its continued celebration of Freedom and Hope this June
through July, 2009. The exhibition's soul stirring and turbo-charged images evoke the joy found in
living in the moment, the exuberance unleashed in overcoming oppression, and the hope that is
unearthed when we cooperate and collaborate. Leni's works are a perfect compliment to the
Museum's current exhibitions: "Freedom's Sisters" and "And Still We Rise.

Leni Sinclair's photography exemplifies our current programmatic themes of "Freedom and Hope" at
the Museum. Having fled the oppressive East German regime at eighteen years of age to seize both
her freedom to choose and her artistic freedom, Leni came to Detroit, co-founded the Detroit Artists
Workshop, embraced the counter culture revolution and began photographing avant-garde artists and
music legends like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder. Every eye that falls upon an
image captured by Leni discovers an element of themselves, a happy memory or a personal
philosophy that lives within it. Leni's photography invites you to celebrate yourself and to rejoice in
whom you are.

Leni's photography is iconic, and her photos have appeared in LP and CD covers, books, magazines
and many newspapers. Her collective works chronicle the artistic histories of the late 1960's Detroit
underground scene and that period's radical political movements in both Detroit and the nation.
Spanning more that four decades, Leni's photo album is a Who's Who of greatness in music: Jimi
Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle,
and Ray Charles. A living example of resilience, determination and our capacity for hope, Leni
remains a Detroit resident, testifies that our greatness still shines and continues to chronicle our
greatness as it is born. Recently, Leni said, "“All I’m hoping for is that I live a long time and my
eyes stay good for a long time so I can get done all the work I’ve started."