FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
NEW PROGRAMMING FOR
SPORT: IOOSS & LEIFER EXHIBIT
AT THE ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
Los Angeles, California (November 17, 2009) - Over the next three months the Annenberg Space for Photography will play host to an exciting array of free programming to coincide with its latest exhibit SPORT: Iooss & Leifer. Among the offerings will be a print and digital exhibit, hi-res documentary-style videos, lectures, and workshops.
Visitors will be offered a chance to hear notable photographers, editors and even a few athletes discuss their views on photography as part of the IRIS Nights lecture series; view digital features on various topics ranging from women in sports to behind the scenes at Sports Illustrated to surf photography; take part in a free photo bookmaking workshop; and the opportunity to take home a limited edition print, which will be available for purchase at the Photography Space for the first time. A portion of the proceeds from the print sales will be used to support the Space's future programming. More information and a catalog of prints can be found online.
SPORT: Iooss & Leifer will take visitors on a journey through some of the most memorable and inspiring moments in sports history captured by the world's two pre-eminent sports photographers Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer. Over 80 photographic prints spanning the careers of both men will be displayed. The prints are accompanied by a 20-minute high resolution digital feature film about sports photography. The film shares imagery of both Iooss and Leifer, along with commentary and interviews from athletes, photographers, photo editors and other media figures such Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Joe Montana, Surfers Herbie and Christian Fletcher, Sports Illustrated Photography Editor Jim Colton, Reuters Photographer Lucy Nicholson and more. In the "Voice of the Photographer" segments visitors will have the chance to see Iooss and Leifer banter about each other.
The Photography Space will offer several exclusive mini documentaries on a wide variety of subjects related to sports photography and the significance of the genre giving visitors an even more enriched experience. Featured documentaries include "Inside Sports Illustrated", documents the rich photographic legacy of the magazine; "Beyond Sport" offers insight into the role of women in sport, both behind the lens and on the field; "The Art of Surf Photography with Art Brewer" introduces viewers to the unique aspects of surf photography; "Sports Meets Swimsuits" takes a look at the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated; and "The Science of Hitting" shows viewers how still imagery is used to help baseball players analyze and improve their swing.
The IRIS Nights lecture series will give the public the chance to attend popular free lectures. Speakers include Walter Iooss, who kicked off the series with a wonderful lecture on the opening night of the exhibit, last Saturday, November 14th; Neil Leifer; Laila Ali with photographer Mikki Willis; athlete and model Aimee Mullins with photographer Howard Schatz; Reuters photographer Lucy Nicholson; Sports Illustrated Photo Editor James Colton; surf photographer Art Brewer; and UFC photographer Kevin Lynch among others. IRIS Nights will also offer a look at Neil Leifer's documentary on photography taken by blind photographers in February. On December 5th BLURB will be hosting three two-hour free workshops teaching attendees how to create and edit their own photo books. The full schedule of programming is below. Advance registration is online and limited walk-up spaces are available at each lecture.
IRIS NIGHTS AND WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
December 3, 2009: Athlete Aimee Mullins with Photographer Howard Schatz
December 5, 2009: BLURB Workshop
December 10, 2009: Rick Rickman - Senior Sports Photography, "The Wonder Years" Book
December 17, 2009: Lucy Nicholson - Sports Photographer Reuters
January 7, 2010: Neil Leifer
January 14, 2010: Jimmy Colton - Photography Editor, Sports Illustrated
January 21, 2010: Art Brewer - Sport and Surfing Photographer
January 28, 2010: Kevin Lynch - UFC Photographer
February 4, 2010: Corinne Marrinan + blind photographers documentary, Dark Light
February 11, 2010: Slideshow Night
February 18, 2010: Jimmy Chin - Adventure Photography
February 25, 2010: Laila Ali with Photographer Mikki Willis
March 4, 2010: Athlete Jessica Mendoza with Photographer Marla Rutherford
SPORT: Iooss & Leifer opens to the public on November 14th and will run through March 7, 2010.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
WALTER IOOSS
Walter Iooss is an award-winning legend in sports photography, best known for his nearly 300 Sports Illustrated covers, as well as his portraits of famous athletes like Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey, Jr., Brett Favre, Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky. In his career, he has covered virtually every major sports event, including all 43 Super Bowls. In 1982, his project on athletes working their way to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles resulted in publication of the book, Shooting for the Gold. He has published a number of other books, including Baseball, Football and Sports People, and created a masterful photo essay with Michael Jordan, Rare Air, which topped The New York Times Best Sellers list. His latest work, Athlete, was released in May 2008, and marks his 14th book. In 2004, Iooss received the Lucie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Photography.
NEIL LEIFER
Neil Leifer's photography career has spanned almost 50 years. Specializing in sports photography, Leifer's photos have regularly appeared in every major national magazine, including the Saturday Evening Post, Look, LIFE, Newsweek, People and, most often, Sports Illustrated. Leifer's pictures have graced over 200 covers of Time Inc. publications -- 170 at Sports Illustrated, and 40 at TIME Magazine. Leifer has published 15 books. The most recent two, Ballet in the Dirt: The Golden Age of Baseball (2007) and Guts and Glory: The Golden Age of American Football 1958-1978 (2008) both published by Taschen, are already considered classics. Leifer photographed his favorite subject, Muhammad Ali, on at least 70 separate occasions, including 35 fights. Leifer is now a full-time filmmaker. He has produced and/or directed two features, five documentaries and eight short films.
ABOUT THE ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
The Annenberg Space for Photography is a new cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting compelling photography. The Photography Space conveys a range of human experiences and serves as an expression of the philanthropic work of the Annenberg Foundation and its Trustees. The intimate environment features state-of-the-art, high-definition digital technology as well as traditional prints by some of the worlds most renowned and emerging photographers. The exhibits change three times a year, however the common thread throughout is one of rich emotion. The Photography Space informs and inspires the public by connecting photographers, philanthropy and the human experience through powerful imagery and stories. It is the first solely photographic cultural destination in the Los Angeles area.
The Annenberg Space for Photography
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, CA 90067
Tel: 213.403.3000
http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
Open Wednesday through Sunday; 11am - 6pm.
Closed Monday and Tuesday
General admission is free.
Media Contacts:
Tiffany Caronia
Evolutionary Media Group
323-658-8700
Tiffany@emgpr.com
Camille Lowry
Annenberg Foundation
310-209-4568
clowry@annenbergfoundation.org
For more information about Photo Space programming, sign up for our eNewsletter here.
Special thanks to our generous partner
