N.C. Central University’s Art Museum will host “Gordon Parks: Crossroads” from February 3-April 11.

The Gordon Parks Foundation’s 45-photograph exhibition celebrates the work of the 20th century’s greatest artists.

Parks was a renowned photographer, novelist, poet, composer, musician, and filmmaker.

His love for photography began after he saw a magazine spread for the Farm Security Administration.

Parks became the first African American to work as a photographer for the FSA, where he developed documentary-style photographs depicting slums, poverty and the economically marginal lives of African Americans.

Kenneth Rodgers, NCCU art museum director, said the museum is very fortunate to have the opportunity to show Gordon Parks’ works.

“There is no larger figure in African American culture or American social consciousness than Parks,” said Rodgers.

Parks’ determination in his odyssey to master the craft of photography, Rodgers said, will not only inspire NCCU students to work at their own craft with passion but to help them understand that sometimes one has to take risks to be successful .

“They will see in his works an unrelenting commitment to get better … his daring nature to create opportunities for himself like he did at Life [magazine],” said Rodgers.

Multimedia artist and NCCU alumna Jamila Renee Davenport, said Parks inspired her to go against the grain in her career.

Parks was the first African American fashion photographer at Vogue and a couple years later became the first African American photojournalist for Life magazine.

His writing abilities were most noted in his autobiography, “The Learning Tree.”

When the novel was turned into a film, Parks was the first African American to direct a film for a major Hollywood company.