The Annenberg Space for Photography's IRIS Nights Series Reaches Its 100th Lecture With David Fahey and Mark McKenna

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annenberg Space for Photography is pleased to announce that the IRIS Nights lecture series is now marking its 100th evening on September 29 with curator/gallery owner David Fahey and Mark McKenna of the Herb Ritts Foundation.

Wildly popular with the local and photography communities, IRIS Nights is free programming that has been offered since the opening of the Photography Space in 2009. Over the past two years, the series has served over 16,000 community members, unifying artists and enthusiasts from all over the world. The Space has presented seven exhibits, brought to life with these weekly lectures by international award-winning speakers, from fine arts and sports photographers to photojournalists; magazine editors; as well as celebrities and subjects from the images themselves.

Among the presenters have been celebrity portraitist Douglas Kirkland, who gave the very first lecture; fine art photographer Catherine Opie; photojournalist Steve McCurry, known for his photo of an Afghan refugee girl with strikingly vibrant eyes; Los Angeles' own Gil Garcetti; environmental photographer Clyde Butcher; celebrity and beauty photographer Matthew Rolston; Director of Photography of National Geographic Magazine David Griffin; blind, underwater photographer Bruce Hall; photographer and rock musician Nikki Sixx; legendary sports photographers Neil Leifer and Walter Iooss, as well as Arctic photographer Paul Nicklen, whose lecture reservations were completely booked within 15 seconds.

IRIS Nights give the public unique access to the artists in an intimate setting.  Behind-the-scenes stories, never-before seen photos and personal experiences are often revealed. Among the memorable moments have been: lecturer David Burnett reuniting with fellow war photojournalists David Hume Kennerly and Nick Ut for the first time in many years; Steve Fine, Director of Photography for Sports Illustrated giving the audience a sneak preview of the Sports Illustrated app; "Urban Noir" photographer Helen K. Garber accompanied by a jazz band; Rick Rickman bringing one of his photo subjects – 83-year-old surfer Eve Fletcher; Laila Ali being challenged to a boxing match by an IRIS Nights guest when she shared the stage with photographer Mikki Willis; and model Beverly Johnson standing up from the audience to thank photographer Fadil Berisha for his beautiful photographs of her.

ABOUT THE 100th LECTURE:

The Photography Space will be marking the occasion with a joint presentation by David Fahey and Mark McKenna, who will speak about the photography of Herb Ritts -- which is included in the current exhibit BEAUTY CULTURE. These speakers are joining a current lineup of top fashion, beauty and pop culture photographers and editors who give presentations that expand on the themes of the BEAUTY CULTURE exhibit.

David Fahey is co-owner of the Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles. During his 36-year career in the field, he has collaborated on the production of over 45 Fine Art Photography publications. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Herb Ritts Foundation and is a member the Association International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD). He is also a Member of the Photography Advisory Council for the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Mark McKenna is the Executive Director of the Herb Ritts Foundation. He served as Ritts' main assistant for many years and then transitioned into right-hand man and business manager until Ritts' passing. McKenna has been in photography his entire life, shooting and assisting many of the top photographers in the business.

Lecture reservations tend to fill up quickly. To give additional access to this lecture, the Photography Space will be awarding ten pairs of tickets to winners of an online trivia contest. The contest can be found on the Photography Space's Facebook page.

ABOUT IRIS NIGHTS:

IRIS Nights is a weekly public program offered on Thursday evenings, free of charge, by online reservation on a first-come, first-served basis. The series brings to life the featured exhibits with hour-long lectures by the photographers featured in the Photography Space exhibits as well as by other notable guest artists and experts. The full lecture schedule can be accessed via the Annenberg Space for Photography website.  Videos of past lectures area also available to view on the website.

ABOUT CURRENT EXHIBIT:

The exhibit BEAUTY CULTURE, open through November 27, is a photographic exploration of how feminine beauty is defined, challenged and revered in modern society. The exhibit features works from over 100 iconic photographers such as Albert Watson, Melvin Sokolsky, Lauren Greenfield, and Tyen.

Annenberg Space for Photography www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org
2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067; Tel: 213.403.3000
Wed- Sun: 11am-6pm
General admission is free.

About the Annenberg Space for Photography

The Annenberg Space for Photography is a 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 Directors. The intimate environment features 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. It is the first solely photographic cultural destination in the Los Angeles area.

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 The Annenberg Foundation