The Booth Family Center for Special Collections was selected as one of five winners of the 2018 Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab "American Book Prices Current" Exhibition Awards for the exhibition catalog created for the "Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes: A Musical Friendship" exhibition curated by Anna Celenza, Thomas E. Caesteker Professor of Music at Georgetown University. The winning catalogs will be on display at the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section Conference Booksellers’ Showcase and Georgetown University Library will be presented with a certificate during the 2018 American Library Association Annual Conference.
Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes: A Musical Friendship explored the close personal and professional friendship between composer Margaret Bonds and poet Langston Hughes. The exhibition, which ran in fall 2016, was accompanied by a special companion exhibition highlighting the activism of Margaret Bonds and included. The Library also partnered with the Department of Performing Arts to host a panel conversation and a performance at the University’s Friday Music Series in celebration of the exhibition.
The catalog was created to provide context for the work showcased in the exhibition and was honored for both the design of the publication as well as its thorough and approachable content. Exhibition Awards Committee Chair, Alexander C. Johnston, noted that "Written for a wide-ranging academic and general audience, it offers multiple perspectives on the Harlem Renaissance and captures connections between and among many different figures at this time. It includes high-quality image reproductions and effective categorical groupings, which showcase a variety of types of collections and materials. The catalog’s size, layout, typography, and color capture the spirit of the time period and subject and make for an accessible and engaging read."
To learn more about the exhibition please visit the online exhibition page. You can also view the panel discussion with curator Anna Celenza, Thomas E. Caesteker Professor of Music and Tammy L. Kernodle, Professor of Music at the Miami University in Ohio as well as the First Friday Music Series Concert featuring soprano Marlissa Hudson accompanied by Marvin Mills on the piano that took place on September 12, 2016.