The Annenberg Space welcomes its inaugural exhibit, L8S ANG3LES
Annenberg Space,  Century City, CA
3/27/09

The Annenberg Foundation, one of the nation’s largest private family foundations, announced plans to open a new community space dedicated to both digital images and print photography in Los Angeles, California. The Annenberg Space for Photography will open in spring 2009. The space will be a 10,000 square foot facility which will feature a state-of-the-art digital projection gallery along with a traditional print exhibit area. The combination of these galleries will enable the Annenberg Space for Photography to show an unprecedented number of images to the general public in a dynamic environment. In addition to being a cultural experience that celebrates photography as an art form, the Photography Space will present images focused on the human condition as an expression of the philanthropic work of the Foundation and its Trustees. The Annenberg Space for Photography will be under the stewardship of the Foundation’s Los Angeles-based Trustees– Wallis Annenberg, Lauren Bon, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten.

Work by photographers at all levels of expertise from around the world will be featured. The galleries will also exhibit often unseen photographic collections held by museums, galleries and media organizations. “Photography is one of the most accessible and personal forms of art. We are thrilled about creating a space completely dedicated to it which will compliment the landscape of existing cultural institutions nationally and in Los Angeles. Our Foundation will continue its multimillion dollar grant support of the existing arts and civic life. We see the creation of the Annenberg Space for Photography as a service to the community where visitors can see the world through a different lens and leave feeling motivated to make positive change,” says Wallis Annenberg, Vice President and Trustee of the Annenberg Foundation.

The premiere show, entitled “L8S ANG3LES,” will be comprised of images from eight Los Angeles-based photographers in the genres of art, architecture, documentary, fashion, photojournalism and celebrity portraits. The artists contributing to the group show are among the most respected in their fields, including John Baldessari, Catherine Opie,  and Greg Gorman. The exhibit will also include work from three Los Angeles Times staff photographers depicting life in this city; Lawrence Ho, Genaro Molina, and Kirk McKoy.

The dynamic exhibition space will feature, along with a traditional print gallery, a state-of-the-art digital presentation system capable of sharing an unprecedented number of photographs with the public in large and high-resolution format. This system can also simultaneously show adjacent video of the photographers discussing their work. The selected work of the artists, though greatly contrasting in style and tone, all speak to the mission of the Photography Space.

In addition to featured exhibits which will change several times a year, shorter weekly shows will enable visitors to have different daily experiences with multiple visits. Simultaneously, videos of photographers discussing their work will give guests the often rare opportunity to hear directly from the artists. Workshops, lectures and discussions featuring artists will be a prominent part of the ongoing programming. Additionally, educational opportunities will be created for adults, children and teens.