LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annenberg Space for Photography offers 14 free events as part of its upcoming exhibit, no strangers: ancient wisdom in a modern world. 

Continuing its popular IRIS Nights lecture series, the Space for Photography will host 13 lectures with photographers, including the guest curator for no strangers, Wade Davis, noted anthropologist, author and photographer. Typically held weekly on Thursday evenings, the IRIS Nights lectures for no strangers will kick off with a special Saturday lecture on the opening night of the exhibit, November 17. In February, Slideshow Night for no strangers will showcase hundreds of additional images related to the themes of the exhibit.

no strangers is a group show about the wonder of culture and the plight of indigenous people throughout the world. Photographers are Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher, Wade Davis, Chris Johns, Lynn Johnson, Steve McCurry, Randy Olson, Chris Rainier and Hamid Sardar-Afkhami. Also included are Timothy Allen, Caroline Bennett, James P. Blair, Edward Burtynsky, David Hiser, Aaron Huey, Thomas Kelly, Mauricio Lima, William Fernando Martinez, James Stanfield, Brent Stirton, Amy Toensing, Jeroen Toirkens, A Yin and Gordon Wiltsie.

The exhibit features an original short documentary produced by Arclight Productions for the Annenberg Space for Photography. The film examines indigenous cultures through photography's lens and encourages viewers to consider ancient traditions in a new context. Filmed in locations throughout the world, the documentary features additional photographs, interviews and behind the scenes footage with indigenous people, academic experts and exhibit photographers Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher, Wade Davis, Chris Johns, Lynn Johnson, Steve McCurry, Randy Olson, Chris Rainier and Hamid Sardar-Afkhami. The film is shown in vivid detail on two 14' by 7' screens in 4K resolution.

no strangers opens free to the public in Los Angeles on November 17, 2012 and closes February 24, 2013.

IRIS NIGHTS LECTURE SERIES

The Photography Space's popular IRIS Nights lecture series continues to offer free presentations featuring exhibit photographers and guest artists sharing their experiences documenting indigenous cultures.

The IRIS Nights lecture series takes place in the Photography Space on Thursday evenings from 6:30pm-8pm and is free to the public with advance registration. (Please note that our first lecture on November 17 takes place on a Saturday, and there will not be a lecture on either November 23 or December 28 due to the holidays.)

Saturday, November 17 - Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher
"Painted Bodies of Africa: Documenting a Disappearing World"
Thirty-five years ago American-born Carol Beckwith and Australian Angela Fisher met in Kenya and began a relationship with the African continent, journeying over 270,000 miles through 40 countries and recording 150 African cultures. The two photographers have produced 15 acclaimed books.

November 29 – Randy Olson
"The Stories in our Genes"
Photojournalist Randy Olson's work has been published in Life, GEO, Smithsonian and others, but he has photographed primarily for the National Geographic Society on more than 30 assignments that have taken him to 50 countries over the past 20 years. He often collaborates with his wife, photographer Melissa Farlow. 

December 6 – Dana Gluckstein
"Portraiture for Social Change"
During her 25-year career, Dana Gluckstein has photographed iconic figures from Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev to Muhammad Ali and Tony Curtis, and produced award-winning advertising campaigns for clients such as Apple and Toyota. Her vision of humanity is revealed in her photographs of indigenous peoples, many of which are in museum and private collections. 

December 13 - James Whitlow Delano
"Malaysia: How 'Green' Bio-Fuels Are Destroying the Little Peoples of the Rainforest"
James Whitlow Delano has lived in Asia for two decades. His award-winning work has appeared in magazines and photo festivals on five continents. Delano's presentation will focus on how bio-fuel is not always "green," and how two indigenous Malaysian peoples have lost much of their rainforest homelands due to local logging and palm oil plantations.

December 20 - Chris Rainier
"Cultures on the Edge"
Photographer Chris Rainier is a master at creating powerful images that document the anthropological story of indigenous cultures whose ways are under threat. A former photographic assistant to Ansel Adams, Rainier has had his stunning images featured in publications including Life, The New York Times, and National Geographic Adventure and Traveler. 

January  3 - Bonnie Folkins
"Riding with the Eagle Hunters"
Canadian-born Bonnie Folkins is an accomplished artist with over 50 solo exhibitions worldwide, as well as hundreds of paintings in permanent collections all over North America. Folkins is committed to telling the stories of the people of Mongolia by preserving their endangered and disappearing culture through photography. 

January 10 - Phyllis Galembo
"Masquerade from Africa to the Americas"
For over two decades, Phyllis Galembo has documented cultural and religious traditions in Africa and the African Diaspora. Her work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture. 

January 17 - Jeroen Toirkens
"NomadsLife"
Dutch photographer Jeroen Toirkens has been working as a freelance photographer since 1995. During this lecture, Toirkens will talk about his project "Nomadslife," for which he has documented the lives of the last nomadic people of the Northern Hemisphere. He will share stories of extraordinary encounters with nomadic families and the hardships endured to reach the most remote places on Earth.

January 24 - David Hiser
"Nomads of the Dawn: The Penan of the Borneo Rain Forest"
David Hiser is an editorial photographer and photo educator, whose work has been published in over 100 National Geographic books and magazines and many international publications. He will share his work with the Penan hunter-gatherers in the deep forests of Borneo.

January 31 - Aaron Huey
"Seven Years on Pine Ridge: The Evolution of a Story from Photojournalism to Street Art and Beyond"
Aaron Huey is a photojournalist who works primarily for National Geographic Society magazines, for which he has shot over 20 features including the August 2012 cover story on the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This lecture will look at the evolution of the Pine Ridge story from journalism to activism.

February 7 - Caroline Bennett
"Words. Pictures. Action!"
Caroline Bennett uses photography to shed light on social justice, cultural and environmental threats, and the human condition. Bennett has won several awards for her work on projects for local and international NGOs, the United Nations, The New York Times, Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal, among others. 

Friday, February 8 – Slideshow Night
This event will showcase hundreds of additional images related to the themes of no strangers.

February 14 - Wade Davis
"The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World"
An Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, Wade Davis is an esteemed anthropologist, author, photographer and filmmaker. He spent over three years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer, living among 15 indigenous groups. He is the author of 17 books, including the international best seller The Serpent and the Rainbow and is guest curator for the no strangers exhibition.

February 21 - Alison Wright
"Face to Face, Portraits of the Human Spirit"
Alison Wright, a New York-based documentary photographer, travels to the most remote regions of the globe photographing endangered cultures and documenting issues concerning the human condition. Wright will present images from her new book that capture the indomitable spirit that lives within us all.

no strangers: ancient wisdom in a modern world runs from November 17, 2012 through February 24, 2013.

Annenberg Space for Photography

2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067
Tel: 213.403.3000
annenbergspaceforphotography.org
Wednesday through Friday: 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 11 am – 7:30 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday. 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. It is the first solely photographic cultural destination in the Los Angeles area.

SOURCE The Annenberg Foundation