The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

Rev. Otis Moss, Jr.

c. 1985

Herbert Ascherman

(American, b. 1947)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 38.1 x 38.1 cm (15 x 15 in.)
Gift of Herbert Ascherman Jr. 2022.119
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Cleveland’s Reverend Otis Moss Jr. is an acclaimed civil rights activist and was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Description

Theologian Rev. Otis Moss Jr. was pastor of Cleveland’s Olivet Institutional Baptist Church from 1975–2008. When he joined the church, it was the largest Black church in Ohio. Herbert Ascherman shows Moss in his role as a preacher and persuasive orator, reaching out to the crowd—and thus the viewer of the photograph—to connect with his audience.
  • 1985-2022
    Herbert Ascherman, Jr. [1947-] (the artist), Beachwood, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    September 12, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Rev. Otis Moss, Jr.|url=false|author=Herbert Ascherman|year=c. 1985|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.119