Annenberg Space for Photography Fascinates Visitors to New Show

San Diego raised the bar for photographic arts with “Avedon: Portraits of Power” this summer. Not to be outdone, Los Angeles is raising the bar a notch higher with a pioneering perspective on sports photography at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. Titled “SPORT: Iooss and Leifer” the photography exhibition features the best works by Sports Illustrated photographers Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer.

This exhibition is both a strong role model for arts institutions that want to highlight the artistic elements of professional photography and a good example of what arts institutions can achieve with the right role models.

Len Aube, Executive Director of the Annenberg Foundation, tells visitors that “the vision of the gallery is to be on the leading edge of where the digital world can take us.” That vision became very tangible this month at preview events. Digital image display tables fascinated visitors who could use touchscreens to select and enlarge exhibition images and compose layouts of their own. A multimedia feature presentation accompanies the exhibition to narrate its themes with additional standout photographs and interviews with star photographers.

VIP guests and veteran sports photographers were not the only visitors inspired by this new show. I have covered over one-hundred art events this year and this is the first time I observed the spontaneous enthusiasm you see here. Just see for yourself.

Annenberg Foundation Executive Director Leonard Aube brings the exhibition to light with the latest digital technology (above left photo) while preview visitors show their fascination with sports photos. Photos by Max Donner.

The team that has made the exhibition possible excited crowds of preview visitors by excelling as role models on their own. Annenberg Foundation CEO Wallis Annenberg literally showed her multidimensionality when she joined preview visitors and VIP guests at a spectacular gala opening. A consummate “Art-trepreneur,” Annenberg serves on the boards of a half-dozen arts institutions and has taken on a leadership role in elevating the recognition of photography in the arts community. Both Iooss and Leifer were inundated with questions and comments from photographers participating in the preview events. They did a good job of acting as good examples of the charismatic personalities that have become a hallmark of their artistic portfolios.

The sports photography exhibition's theme of teamwork is reinforced by the strong team spirit achieved by directors Wallis Annenberg and Charles Annenberg Weingarten (left and center) and photographers Walter Iooss (center-right) and Neil Leifer. Annenberg Foundation CEO Wallis Annenberg showed many dimensions to make this exhibition a success (profile at right).               Photos by Max Donner.

The exhibition is as multi-dimensional as the talents that launched it. Frequent art exhibition visitors recognize excellent artistic composition in the best photos and their presentation. Michael Jordan’s smile and gaze follow you throughout the room as powerfully as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. A portrait with solid rectangles in the background appears as an inspiration to Twentieth Century abstract art by Joseph Albers or Mark Rothko. Neil Leifer’s series of national champions at national symbols shows how talented photographers can associate their subject with an important topic and unify a series of images with a common theme.

You will also have plenty of reasons to see this exhibition for yourself. The featured sports photographers from this exhibition will be joined by other experts for a series of workshops and events highlighting the theme of sports photography. Neil Leifer will return on Thursday, January 7 to share his knowhow on creating classic images. In addition, Lucy Nicholson will present “Shooting Sports” Thursday, December 17, James Colton will speak about “Sport Photography“ on Thursday, January 14 and Art Brewer will be featured on Thursday, January 21 to chronicle surfing in photography. Jimmy Chin will complete the speaker series on Thursday, February 18 with “Adventure Sport Photography.”

If you would like to add “Photo LA 2010” to your schedule, mark you calendar for January 15 to 17. The Annenberg Space for Photography is just two hours from San Diego in the carpool lane and admission is free. It is located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City, just north of Olympic Boulevard and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The "SPORT" Exhibition remains open through March 7, 2010.