Ghent, Henri, 1926-2009

Biography

Henri Ghent served from June 1968 to September 1972 as the first Director of the Community Gallery in the Brooklyn Museum, often referred to in documents by its parent institution at the time, the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. He has also been recorded as the first Black man to hold a decision-making post at a major American museum. Although marked by difficult relationships with Brooklyn Museum leadership, his term was full of innovation and community partnerships with such groups as: the Artists League of Brooklyn, Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the Federated Institutes of Cultural Enrichment, and many more.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1926, Henri Ghent was educated at the New England Conservatory in Boston, the Longy School in Cambridge, and other institutions in France, England, and Germany. He was the recipient of myriad awards, including: the Marian Anderson Scholarship Award, a Martha Baird Rockefeller Study Grant, and ‘Bourse Speciale” from the French government. After his education. Mr. Ghent moved on to be a writer, consultant, and coordinator of institutional and civic projects involving the creative and performing arts. Some significant roles were as: a consultant and coordinator for the American Art Exhibition at the American Cultural Centre in Paris, France from 1958-1960; a research assistant for an Afro-American Exhibition at the Great Hall of City College of New York in 1967; and a staff writer position at Elegant Publishing Company, Inc. from 1964-1968. His knowledge of the New York art scene and relationships with local artists made him the ideal candidate for the position of Director of the Community Gallery.

Mr. Ghent was also an activist who fought for representation within museums and, as such, was actively involved in picketing and protesting at other New York institutions,such as the Whitney and the Met, which he protested against in direct response to the 1969 exhibit “Harlem on My Mind,” as part of the group the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition. These activities led to personal conflicts at the Museum. Ghent's position was tenuous at this time. During this time, a job description was created for Ghent.

The clarification of the Community Gallery Director position aided both Mr. Ghent’s ability to shape the Community Gallery into the diverse, community space that it became, as well as better fulfill his curatorial and administrative duties. Eventually, the final job description made priorities of the following: development of the concept of the Community Gallery, fund-raising, establishing relationships with neighborhood groups and associations, facilitation of exhibits, maintaining an Advisory Committee, and encouraging broader community participation.

The end of his tenure came in September 1972 at the hands of the Brooklyn Museum’s then director, Duncan F. Cameron, whose divisive leadership resulted in many resignations and firings of established curators and administrators. Among the people fired was Henri Ghent. Mr. Cameron’s discordant reputation warranted news coverage by the New York Times in 1972 and, as such, there is uncertainty about the true reasoning behind firing Mr. Ghent. Shortly following the dismissal Dick Campbell wrote a letter to the editor in the New York Times, where he expressed the astonishment and disappointment felt by supporters of Mr.Ghent at the news of his firing.

Mr. Ghent passed away in 2009 but his impact is still felt at the Brooklyn Museum.

Found in 9 Collections and/or Records: