FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Meredith Marlay

mmarlay@luciefoundation.org

MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCES CLOSING WEEK LINEUP
Closing Week Events Continue to Celebrate 2014 Theme: Communities and Cultures


Los Angeles, Calif. (April 24, 2014) The 6
th
annual Month of Photography Los Angeles
(MOPLA) concludes this week with a festive and diverse schedule of events and exhibitions.
Los Angeles most celebrated month of photography featured a series of nearly 60 photographic
showcases in collaboration with historical and new partners including Siren Studios, Miracle
Mile Chamber, The Icon, Photo Independent, and dozens more. MOPLA celebrates another
highly successful month due in part to this years theme of Communities and Cultures, aimed to
explore traditional and non-traditional ideas of families, environments, traditions, and lifestyles.
The theme will also play a key role in the robust series of upcoming closing week events.

MOPLAs final week commences with an exhibition by Lever Ruhkin at The Icon Wilshire on
April 23
rd
. Ruhkins powerful and highly engaging images feature staged scenarios of adverse
fantasy incidents.

The exhibition will give us a tiny glimpse into the artists process, exposing his painstakingly
precise and thoroughly executed efforts, remarks Cat Jimenez, Co-Founder of MOPLA. From
his contact sheets to his farcical scenarios, Ruhkins work is at once thought-provoking and in
some cases, extremely humorous.

The Icon is honored to once again be a part of MOPLA. We are thrilled to know that MOPLA is
here and has continued to set the bar for an organization that pools elite talent from greater Los
Angeles, says Bonny Taylor, Director of the Fine Art Department at the Icon.

From April 24
th
to April 30
th
, in partnership with the Biannual Brewery Art Walk and Basecamp
@ the Brewery, MOPLA presents its annual Official Group Show featuring a selection of work
from both local and international artists. Curated to reflect this years theme, the 2014
installation of MOPLA: Communities and Cultures is proud to present works that aim to broaden
awareness, challenge perspectives, and invite a deeper contemplation of traditional and non-
traditional concepts of collectives, environments, and lifestyles.

The Ancient Mexicans, a series from Los Angeles based artist Olivia Barrionuevo,
is simultaneously raw and evocative, yet alluringly pacifying, says Linda Dzhema, Programs
Director of the Lucie Foundation.

The Official Group Show will also present an interactive, conceptual installation by a Hungarian
based photographer, Dennis Hodges. A Sense of His Soul is aimed to engage viewer's
decision-making faculties based solely on the intuitive insight gained from the confrontation with
the eyes of international political figures. An inquisitive and eccentric visual exploration of
romantic partnerships form the 2013 Lucie Awards Discovery of the Year title winner, Carlotta
Cardana, will be certain to captivate and inspire, along with the series of works by Sandra Chen
Weinstein, Osamu Yokonami, as well as selects from the local interdisciplinary artists Jay Mark
Johnson and Royce Gorsuch."

MOPLAs Official Closing Night Event hosted by Boulevard3 will take place on April 25
th

showcasing a printed exhibition of work entitled, Celebrate Rock N Roll as well as projections
featuring new work and revisited work from MOPLA 2014. The collection of rock n roll images
includes pieces by some of Los Angeles most celebrated rock photographers including Neil
Zlozower, Stephen Stickler, and Sean Murphy. The projection portion of the evening will feature
a presentation entitled, Powerhouse including ASMP LA photographers and curated by ASMP-
LA Vice President Yasmin Alishav, a highlight reel from MOPLA 2014, and a new body of work
by LA-based emerging artist, Simone Paz. FotoVisura will present their 2014 Grant Winners and
En Foco, a non-profit organization dedicated to the celebration of cultural diversity in
photography, will also present a tribute projection in honor of their 40
th
anniversary. An RSVP is
required for this event: closing@monthofphotography.com

The following evening, April 26
th
, audiences will have the opportunity to see the first fully
comprehensive look at Bruce Talamons photography of R&B royalty from 1972-1982 including
images of Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, and many more. The
evening includes a reception, artist talk with Alex Chadwick from NPR, and an R&B dance party
with DJ Coleman of Mochilla.

"I always thought of my photographs as documents that went beyond just someone screaming
into a microphone. I chased that fleeting visual record for ten glorious years. And I guess along
the way I became a visual historian, states Bruce Talamon.

In closing, on April 27
th
, the Lucie Foundation presents a new speakers series exploring the
creative process entitled, Vision + Visionaries, debuting with Creative Director, Charlie Hess and
photographer, Tierney Gearon. This closing event is co-presented by New York Film Academy
and will take place at Mark Sennett Studios.

As photographys most celebrated month in Los Angeles comes to a close, there are numerous
additional opportunities to view local and international photography throughout the city. Among
these events include, Photo Independent Art Fair at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, the Official
MOPLA exhibition CHIAROSCURO by Matthias Koenigswieser at Ace Hotel in downtown Los
Angeles, and the Santa Monica Auctions including works by Irving Penn, Ruud van Empel,
George Tice, Andre de Dienes, and many others.

For tickets as well as a full listing of MOPLAs closing week events, please visit
http://monthofphotography.com/events/

About MOPLA
In April 2009, the inaugural Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA) showcased the enormous photography
community, inclusive of commercial, fine art and photojournalism. As the second largest photography community in
the United States, Los Angeles provides a distinctive backdrop to the celebration of the photographic image. MOPLA
was established and exists to advance the celebration of Photography through a variety of events and programs
designed to inspire and invigorate the photography professional, enthusiast, emerging professional and collector.
www.monthofphotography.com

About Lucie Foundation
The Lucie Foundations mission is to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and
promote the appreciation of photography worldwide. In additional to Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA),
the foundation presents year-round programming to support high school students through SNAPSHOP!, emerging
and professional photographers through the Lucie Scholarship Program and master photographers through The
Lucie Awards. The Lucie Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation. www.luciefoundation.org

# # #