The Annenberg Space for Photography Announces Artists and Themes in 'WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD' Exhibit in Association with April 2010 Issue of National Geographic Magazine

LOS ANGELES, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annenberg Foundation and National Geographic Magazine are pleased to announce the upcoming exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography, tentatively titled "WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD." Organized in partnership with National Geographic Magazine, the exhibit will open to the public on March 27, 2010 coinciding with the release of National Geographic's April 2010 issue on the precarious state of the world's fresh water. Imagery by a selection of National Geographic photographers will examine the local and global challenges of our planet's dwindling fresh water resources. National Geographic will hit newsstands March 30, 2010. The exhibit will be available for viewing until June 13, 2010.

Specific themes presented in the exhibit will follow six major features of National Geographic's "WATER: OUR THIRSTY WORLD" issue. These themes include "Sacred Waters," looking at humankind's inspirational relationship with water and celebrating how precious this resource is to all life on the planet; "The Big Melt," examining the environmental challenges of Tibet's freshwater resource, on which two billion people depend; "Parting the Waters," showing how countries are working together to adapt to the drastic reduction in water levels in the Jordan river basin; "The Burden of Thirst," presenting issues facing African women and children who are responsible for delivering the freshwater needs for their families; "California's Pipe Dream," surveying California's vast water infrastructure, thirsty crops, rampant development and threats to the fragile Sacramento Delta; and "Silent Streams," looking at the challenges facing freshwater species and how scientists hope to save them.

The compelling images were captured by some of National Geographic's renowned photographers, including:

Jonas Bendiksen (The Big Melt) – Jonas Bendiksen has received numerous awards, including a National Magazine Award for his story "Kibera,'' which was featured in the Paris Review. Other distinctions include a Freedom of Expression Foundation fellowship, second place in the 2004 Daily Life Stories category for World Press Photo, the 2003 Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography, and first prize in the Pictures of the Year International competition. His coverage on "Dharavi: Mumbai's Shadow City," was featured in the May 2007 issue of National Geographic.

Edward Burtynsky (California's Pipe Dream) – Edward Burtynsky is known as one of the world's most respected photographers. His remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes are included in the collections of 15 major museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. "California's Pipe Dream" is his first assignment with National Geographic.

Lynn Johnson (The Burden of Thirst) – Lynn Johnson has traveled from Siberia to Zambia with her Leica cameras. Though she has photographed notables from Tiger Woods to the justices of the Supreme Court, her favorite assignments are emotionally demanding stories about ordinary people. She has received awards from World Press Photo and POYi, among others. Her work for National Geographic has covered everything from zoonotic diseases to illiterate women from India's Untouchable caste training to become village health workers.

Paolo Pellegrin (Parting the Water) – Paolo Pellegrin has won many awards, including eight World Press Photo awards and numerous Photographer of the Year awards, a Leica Medal of Excellence, an Olivier Rebbot Award, the Hansel-Meith Prize, and the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award. In 2006, he received the W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography. He lives in New York and Rome.

Joel Sartore (Silent Streams) – A lifelong Nebraskan, Joel Sartore is a frequent contributor to National Geographic. He is co-founder of the Grassland Foundation and a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including top honors in the category of Science/Natural History from POYi. His recent work for National Geographic includes stories on endangered species and amphibian loss.

John Stanmeyer (Sacred Waters) – John Stanmeyer works regularly on assignment with National Geographic. He has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Robert Capa Magazine Photographer of the Year, as well as World Press and Picture of the Year awards. His recent work for the magazine includes stories about food security and malaria.

In addition to traditional prints, the Photography Space will present high-resolution digital programming which relates to the exhibit themes: in-depth interviews with National Geographic photographers and editors, a behind the scenes peek at what it takes to produce National Geographic Magazine and a program on NASA's recent moon mission in search of water.

During the three-month exhibit, the free IRIS Nights lecture series will continue to be offered inside the Photography Space on Thursday evenings, and will expand on the images and themes presented in the galleries. Additional programs related to the exhibit will include a themed group slideshow evening, and photography workshops. Details and final schedules will be announced later this spring.

The Annenberg Space for Photography is an entirely new cultural destination dedicated to exhibiting compelling photography. The 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 presents digital images via state-of-the-art, high-definition digital technology as well as traditional prints by some of the world's 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.

About National Geographic magazine:

National Geographic magazine is the official journal of the National Geographic Society, one of the world's largest nonprofit educational and scientific organizations. Published in English and 32 local-language editions, the magazine has a global readership of more than 35 million. Its website is www.ngm.nationalgeographic.com.

The magazine has a long tradition of combining on-the-ground reporting with award-winning photography to inform people about life on our planet. In 2009 it won a National Magazine Award for Photojournalism and was nominated as a finalist in four other categories, including General Excellence for a magazine with a circulation over 2 million. In 2008 it won three National Magazine Awards, for General Excellence, Photojournalism and Reporting. In 2007 it won two National Magazine Awards, for General Excellence and Photography. The April 2010 issue of the magazine is devoted wholly to the state of the world's fresh water. Feature stories, extensive maps and graphics, thematic shorts, and opening and closing essays take readers on a worldwide, often emotional journey to examine the local and global challenges of our planet's limited freshwater resources.

About the Annenberg Foundation

The Annenberg Foundation is a private family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. Since 1989, it has generously funded programs in education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; and animal services and the environment. In addition, the Foundation and its Board of Directors are directly involved in the community with several projects that expand and complement its grant support to nonprofits. Among them are innovative nonprofit capacity building initiatives, the Annenberg Space for Photography, Explore, and the Metabolic Studio. The Annenberg Foundation exists to advance the public well-being through improved communication. As the principal means of achieving this goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge.

SOURCE Annenberg Foundation