Walter Griffin talking about his work, interviewed by Craig Martin
“We have to document our history for future generations,” Walter Griffin notes with passion. “Everyone can be a visual historian.” Walter Griffin has been documenting history and telling stories through the lens of a camera for more than 50 years.
Last fall, Trellis approached Walter about purchasing several of his photos for our offices. “It quickly became clear that this was a perfect match,” said Dawn Simonson, President and CEO of Trellis. “Walter’s work exemplifies our shared values of caring, community and inclusion. We are pleased to partner with Walter to display this work, and we are looking forward to being surrounded by these beautiful images as we return to our offices.”
Through his distinguished career — for many years he was the only Black, full-time professional photographer in Minneapolis — Walter has documented many of the pivotal events that define our collective history. As a freelance photographer, he has taken photos for the Boston Globe, the Star Tribune and a wide range of corporate, nonprofit and community events. He has exhibited his work in more than 150 single-person and group exhibitions, including at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Guthrie Theatre, Target Corporation, Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery, and places across the country.
“I grew up in Chicago and got started taking photos for my school newspaper,” said Walter. “I studied photography at South Side Community Arts Center in Chicago and got to work in a darkroom built by Gordon Parks. The elders at South Side taught me what I needed to learn — patience, concentration, adaptability, neatness and how to treat the equipment. I developed a lifelong friendship with Gordon Parks, who was very influential in my work as a photographer.”
“South Side was the creative hub for the Black community in Chicago. There was dance, visual arts, rehearsal space for musicians and a gallery for art exhibitions. The gallery gave me an opportunity to share my photos and let others see what I had seen. Since then, I have photographed jazz musicians, cityscapes, cultural events, dancers and the seasons of life worldwide.”
Walter has lived a fascinating life. He completed a master’s degree in communications in Ghana, Africa. He has traveled the world, taught budding young photographers and is an active member of his south Minneapolis community. He is a founding member of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minneapolis and has danced with Kairos Alive, a Minneapolis group that helps people of all abilities realize the positive effects of dance. He is also the founder of the Black Photographic Collaborative, a place for Black photographers to network and exhibit their photos to the Black community.
We hope you’ll make a point to stop into our offices later this fall to see Walter’s photos. Thank you to Craig Martin, Lead Programmer Analyst for Trellis for interviewing Walter for our video. Learn more about Walter at waltergriffin.com or contact him at wgriffin1@gmail.com.
