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June 2, 2008
Commodore exhibit to run throughout 2008
The Chicago Public Library is showcasing a free exhibition titled "Chester Commodore, 1914-2004: The Work and Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist of Color," which will run through Dec. 31, 2008. The show is in the exhibit gallery at Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted Street.
The exhibit opened on May 24 and featured family, colleagues and friends of Chester Commodore, as well as scholars who placed Commodore's work in the context of African American journalism. Tim Jackson, current editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Defender was one of the speakers at the opening.
The exhibit includes more than 125 items selected from the Chester Commodore Papers, including original cartoons, photographs, letters, awards and other memorabilia. The exhibit will also offer additional material to provide a historical context on the social events depicted in Commodore's cartoons and by other African American cartoonists.
Chesterfield (Chester) Commodore was born in Racine, Wisconsin in 1914, and moved to Chicago at the age of 13. He was fascinated by cartoons from an early age and was largely a self-taught artist. In 1948, Commodore landed a job at the Chicago Defender, and advanced quickly from doing photo layouts to story illustrations and then to drawing humor cartoons. In 1954, Commodore became the Defender's primary editorial cartoonist where he vigorously campaigned for civil rights and against prejudice. Commodore continued his consciousness-raising mission for 50 years until his death in 2004.
Commodore was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize twelve times but he never won the Pulitzer. He was, however, a seven-time winner of the Best Cartoon award from the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Commodore also received awards from such diverse groups as the Chicago Newspaper Guild, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Lu Palmer Foundation.