Jules Allen (born September 13, 1947) is a photographer and a tenured professor in the Art & Photography Department of Queensboro Community College, City University of New York, where he has taught for two decades. He was born in San Francisco, California.
He shares the belief of photographer Diane Arbus, who states, “the more specific a thing is, the more general.” The artist, Danny Dawson has said, "Allen has a “keen eye for the obvious” in his lifelong work evocative of the contemporary black experience. His images place subjects drawn from the richness of black life within universal paradigms. They have inspired collaborations with journalists, visual artists, musicians, playwrights, poets, and filmmakers.
Allen’s books include Hats and HatNots, Black Bodies and 2011 publication on boxing life in New York City's Gleason's Gym, Double Up: Photographs by Jules Allen, and the 2013 publication of "In Your Own Sweet Way," a personal and intimate collection of photographic conversations across the continent of Africa. Exhibited in the U.S. and abroad, as shown in the Permanent Museum Collections & Exhibition listing below, he is the recipient of grants and awards. His photographs are housed in museum collections worldwide. His commercial and corporate work has been seen on covers of national publications such as Business Week, Forbes and Black Enterprise magazines as well as within the Annual Reports of corporate boards and clients within the music industry.
Life of the City, Group Exhibition, Permanent Collection, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 2002
Americanos, Group Exhibition, Smithsonian Institution, shown in 26 cities; Washington DC, New York, Chicago, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, Omaha, St. Petersburg, Tucson, Milwaukee, Boston, Charlotte, 2002
Imagines Havana, Group Exhibition of Latin, Caribbean and U.S. photographers, Santiago/ Havana, Cuba, co-sponsored by Fototeca, Royal Nederland’s Embassy and The Washington Post, 2004
Photographs: Jules Allen, Solo Exhibition, Institute of African Affairs, NY University, New York, NY, 2006
Marching Bands Exhibit, Solo Exhibition, The Jazz Gallery, New York, NY, 2006
Propositions on the Permanent Collection, Group Exhibition, Studio Museum of Harlem, New York, NY, 2009
Leica Gallery, "Double Up" Solo Exhibition, New York, NY, November 16, 2012 through January 5, 2013
Photography Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts, 1991
Award, New York Council of the Arts, & Public Art Fund Presentation; “60 Bus Stop Shelters,” City College of New York, NY, 1992
Research & Photography Grant Funding, City University of New York, NY, New York Foundation for the Arts, NY, 1994–99; 2001
Imagines Havana, Documentary Photography Panel, Seminar for Latin, Caribbean and US photographers; co-sponsored by The Washington Post and Fototeca, 2003
Research & Photography Grant Funding, CETL Grants & Awards City University of New York, NY, 2003
Research & Photography Grant Funding, CETL Grants & Awards City University of New York, NY, 2004–2009
Lecture, Hatch Billups Artist & Influence, New York, NY, 2009
Portfolio, "Killens Review of Arts & Letters, Fall/Winter 2010"
SOHO Photo Gallery, PhotoGroup Salon, Group Lecture, New York, NY, January 18, 2012
Southeast Queens Camera Club, Jamaica, NY, Lecture April 17, 2012
