Artist Talk: Dr. Deborah Willis

An Art Week program at The Betsy - South Beach brings acclaimed scholar and artist Dr. Deborah Willis into conversation about her landmark publication, Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present (Liveright, 2025).

The artist talk takes place Saturday, December 6 at 3 p.m. in The Gallery and explores the ways Black photographers have shaped both visual culture and American history. Dr. Willis will be joined in conversation by Cornelius Tulloch and Joan Morgan, offering a multigenerational perspective on identity, authorship and the evolving narratives within Black photographic practice.

A leading figure in the field, Dr. Willis is a University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at New York University, as well as director of NYU’s Center for Black Visual Culture. Her work spans decades of research, exhibitions and publications that center African American experiences in the photographic record, earning her recognition including a MacArthur Fellowship.

Presented as part of The Betsy’s Art Week Miami programming, the event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the most influential voices in contemporary photography.