Donita Simpson

Photographer and educator. Finalist in the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. She has photographed many of Detroit's artists in their studios.

Dreams 1.

Donita Simpson (left) and photographer Bill Sanders in 2019.

Upcoming exhibitions

Essence Unveiled: Conversations Through a Lens at Galerie Camille. Slated to open January 10, with an opening reception from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and run to January 25, with a closing reception from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There will be a gallery talk with the artist on January 17, also from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Plus various other plans.

Past exhibitions

THE FOLLOWING LISTING IS INCOMPLETE. Missing some Boll YMCA shows, shows in Chicago, the Outwin Boochever touring exhibition, etc.

Actual Size 2023 at Detroit Contemporary. December 2 — 31, 2023.
Detroit Framed at Detroit Contemporary. May 6 — 28, 2023.
Confluent at the Wayne State University Elaine L. Jacob Gallery. September 22, 2022 — December 9, 2022.
Who Is Russell A. Taylor? at Detroit Contemporary. November 5 — 27, 2022.
All Media Exhibition 2021 at Detroit Artists Market. Curated by Valerie J. Mercer. August 13, 2021 — September 11, 2021.
The Detroit Portrait Project at the Wayne County Community College District Brown and Juanita C. Ford Gallery. November 5, 2019 — ??? ??, 2020?
Detroit Artists' Portrait Project at the Wayne County Community College Northwest Campus. July 11, 2019 – August 11, 2019.
Captured in the D's: Detroit/Dearborn Photography at Black Box Gallery. Curated by Jack O. Summers. February 8, 2019 – March 2, 2019.
Detroit Portrait Project in the Manoogian Arts Wing of the University Liggett School. January 11, 2019 – January ??, 2019.
Context Is Everything at the Connections Gallery of the North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth in Ann Arbor. May 16, 2018 – August 31, 2018.
2018 Biennial All Media Exhibition at Detroit Artists Market. April 27, 2018 – May 26, 2018.
The Detroit Artist's Portrait Project at Wayne County Community College, Ted Scott Campus. September 7, 2017 – ??? ??, 2017?
Diversity at the Boll Family YMCA. June 1 – 30, 2017.
The ABCs of Art at the Carr Center. June 3, 2016 – ???, 2016.
Exhibit of 2015 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition finalists, at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Donita's entry in the competition is a photo of Gilda Snowden in her studio. March 12, 2016 – January 8, 2017.
With Bruce Giffin and Amy Sacka at the Boll YMCA. April 7, 2016 – ???, 2016.
Actual Size Biennial 2015 at Atrium Gallery. December 12, 2015 – January 23, 2016.
With four other Detroit photographers at Galerie Camille. October 9 – 31, 2015.
A Tribute to Rosa Parks & Gilda Snowden at Live Coal Gallery. October 24, 2014 – November 25, 2014.
Gilded, a special tribute to Gilda Snowden at Whitdel Arts. January 10, 2014 – February 22, 2014.
Laerrus at 4731, July 20 – 27, 2013.
...many more...

External links

Instagram page

Reviews

Dennis Alan Nawrocki, "63 Donita Simpson", Essay'd, January 9, 2017. "In these “photographic endeavors,” Simpson, while gleaning both nuances and astonishments from collegial, one-on-one “conversations” with her subjects, also evinces something of the resilient pulse of the city’s aesthetic life, no mean feat for artists as well as their photographer ally, in these fractious, volatile times."