Barbara DuMetz (1947 - ) is an American photographer and pioneer in the field of commercial photography.  When she began working in Los Angeles as a commercial photographer in the 1970’s, very few women had established and maintained successful careers in the field, especially African American women. Known for her work with African-American celebrities, corporations and images of everyday life in African –American communities, DuMetz’s photographs make an important contribution to raising the visibility of a people who had been largely unseen and misunderstood in the American mainstream. Her photographs also contribute greatly to diversifying the landscape of images that defined pop culture in the United States.

DuMetz has been a professional photographer for more than four decades. Over the course of her career, she has produced award winning images for publications like Essence, Ebony, Jet and Black Enterprise as well as Fortune 500 corporations like the Coca–Cola Company, Delta Airlines Inc. and the MacDonald’s Corporation. DuMetz also established herself as an outstanding portrait and fine art photographer.

Exhibits and Other Work

This digital exhibit highlights a select group of images drawn for DuMetz’s broad catalog of commercial and fine art photography. As her story emerges from the shadows and into the light, her works providing a roadmap to her immense talent and underscoring the important contribution she has made to our nation’s visual culture.

Who Knew It Was a Sister?was the question raised by a woman attending one of DuMetz's exhibits when she first saw the familiar commercial images of her popular ads. It is a small composite of her career, capturing more than two-dozen influential African-American artists, including Gordon Parks, Quincy Jones, Bebe Moore Campbell, and Maya Angelou.

DuMetz has also exhibited her work at Fisk University, her alma mater, the Southwest Arts Center, in Atlanta and other galleries throughout the country. More images of her work can be seen on her website.

Early Life

DuMetz was born in Charleston, West Virginia, the only girl and second of four children to Eustace T. DuMetz, II, DDS and Constance R. (nee Brooks). When DuMetz was 3 years old, her family moved to Detroit where she attended school, graduating from _ High School. She attended Fist University in Nashville, Tennessee, majoring in . After graduating from Fisk University, she attended Art Center College of Design now Located in Pasadena, California ,where she learned the art and business of making great images. She currently maintains her business and studio in Atlanta, Georgia.

References:

https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Barbara+DuMetz%22#tbm=bks&q=%22Barbara+DuMetz%22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY8PtcK5I7g

http://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/440456-barbara-dumetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5CCRGjl-jI

https://vimeo.com/user31654178