LET THE SUNSHINE IN
Walter McDonald, Chelwood Park Boulevard NE, November 1969, Digital reproduction of a 35mm slide, Albuquerque Museum
T
Oral Histories Shine a Light on the Past HE CURRENT COMMUNITY
It was important to the curators though
would quickly turn. He was on hand for the
HISTORY EXHIBITION,
that the exhibition incorporate local
unrest, and his photographs of that day
Let the Sunshine In, opened
voices. To that end, Hartke and Prinster
are in the Museum’s Photo Archives.
December 21, 2019. The
conducted oral history interviews of
In the interview, he reflected on the
project was a collaboration between the
local residents in order to gain important
chaos of that day: “I think that was part of
Museum’s Digital Archivist Jill Hartke
insights into Albuquerque’s past.
the dilemma for the cops too. Say, these
and Assistant History Curator Rebecca
Interviewee Jim Kubie, former presi-
Prinster. The exhibition is a departure
dent of Kurt’s Camera Corral, discussed
arms and ready to, you know—these are
from the usual exhibitions that circulate
the civil unrest that occurred around
folk. Even to the point where you say, ‘Hey
through the Keleher gallery because
Roosevelt Park June 13–15, 1971. He was
I know you, didn’t we go to high school
it was conceived of and developed
at the park June 13 to photograph the
together?’ kind of thing. So it was not
by Museum staff, not by an outside
day’s goings-on, as was typical for him on
something that [the cops] were used to.”
community group.
a Sunday. Little did he know the peace
4
WINTER 2020
Art. History. People.
aren’t criminals. They’re not carrying side
Other stories in Let the Sunshine In in-
