The Metro: New exhibition honors the life and legacy of photographer Leni Sinclair.
Leni Sinclair will be honored with a year-long exhibition at the Detroit Historical Society. Ann Delisi moderates a celebration on March 12 to open the exhibit.
Leni Sinclair on Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations in August 2016.
They called her the girl behind the camera, but make no mistake, Leni Sinclair wasn’t standing in anyone’s shadow. She was shaping history from the other side of the lens.
After emigrating to the United States in 1959 and studying at Wayne State University, Sinclair immersed herself in the cultural pulse of Detroit. In the 1960s, she documented revolution, both musical and political, capturing icons like Aretha Franklin and the raw passion of the MC-5.
Her photographs didn’t just freeze moments in time, they helped define an era.
Leni wasn’t only observing movements, she was leading them. A political activist, cultural catalyst, and champion for generations of artists, she transformed Detroit’s creative landscape while chronicling it.
The Detroit Historical Society is honoring Sinclair’s extraordinary legacy with a year-long exhibition, “Leni: Looking Through the Lens”.
The celebration kicks off March 12 at the Detroit Historical Museum. The evening will be moderated by WDET’s Ann Delisi with an ensemble performance led by Kasan Belgrave, son of legendary trumpeter Marcus Belgrave.
Leni joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to chat briefly about her career and upcoming event.
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