"Annie Leibovitz" getaway packages to Ohio feature exhibition tickets and more

Columbus' Wexner Center for the Arts only stop to host major Annie Leibovitz exhibition

Columbus, OH -- The Wexner Center for the Arts will devote its entire gallery space to a major presentation of work by photographer Annie Leibovitz from  Sept. 20  through Dec. 30, 2012.

”Annie Leibovitz,” organized by the Wexner Center, will feature more than 200 photographs.  The bulk of the exhibition comes from “Master Set,” an authoritative edition of 156 of her images. 

Leibovitz personally selected and oversaw the printing of the limited edition, large archival pigment prints.  A special lobby display will feature portraits and related working prints by Leibovitz of artists who have appeared at The Wex over the years, some of whom are Wexner Prize recipients. 

A special travel getaway package featuring the exhibition is available throughout the run of the show. Starting at $259, the "Annie Leibovitz" travel package includes:

• First-class accommodations at the design-centric The Lofts Hotel
• Two Tickets to Wexner Center for the Arts for the "Annie Leibovitz" exhibition
• Valet parking
• $25 dining gift card, valid at one of 14 Arena District venues
• Two standard movie passes to the award-winning Arena Grand Movie Theatre
• Cooked-to-order breakfast buffet at Max & Erma’s Restaurant
• Package reservations are made at www.55lofts.com or (614) 461-2642  

The Wexner Center is the first institution in the world to have the opportunity to exhibit them “Master Set” as a whole.  The presentation will be augmented by work from “Pilgrimage,” a project featuring a series of photographs of interiors, landscapes and talismanic objects attached to historical figures—Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Georgia O’Keeffe, Annie Oakley, and Elvis Presley, among others. “Pilgrimage” was organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

"Annie Leibovitz" is organized by Bill Horrigan, Wexner Center’s curator-at-large, in collaboration with Jill Davis, director of exhibitions management. Both worked closely with Leibovitz and her studio to conceive this unique presentation.  A printed gallery guide will accompany the exhibition.

Annie Leibovitz began her career in 1970 as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone magazine, while she was a student at the San Francisco Art Institute.  In 1983, she joined the staff of the revived Vanity Fair and was established as the foremost rock music photographer and an astute documentarian of the social landscape. At Vanity Fair, and later at Vogue, she developed a large body of work that expanded her collective portrait of contemporary life.  

Leibovitz has had unique access to many of the most notable figures of our time. She has photographed U.S. presidents from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama as well as hundreds of athletes, actors, artists, dancers, musicians, fashion designers, scientists and business leaders. She also has created several influential advertising campaigns, including her award-winning portraits for American Express and the Gap.  By no means are all of Leibovitz’s subjects famous.  In special projects that became books on women and music, she brought her approach to portraiture to figures who might not necessarily be featured in a magazine. Leibovitz has been designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress. She lives in New York with her three children, Sarah, Susan and Samuelle.

VISITOR INFORMATION: "Annie Leibovitz" will be on view Sept. 22–Dec. 30, 2012 at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St. (at 15th Ave.) on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Wednesday and Sunday 11 am–6 pm; Thursday–Saturday 11 am–8 pm; closed Mondays. Admission is $8 for adults (18–64); $6 for senior citizens (65 or older); free to all Thursdays, 4 - 8 pm and the first Sunday of the month. Details and tickets at wexarts.org.  Travel packages are available via www.55lofts.com or (614) 461-2642.  

Columbus is a city unlike any other. Vibrant and alive, Ohio’s capital is known for its open attitude, smart style and entrepreneurial spirit.  Columbus' uncommon blend of neighborhoods, arts and culinary experiences, events, attractions and accommodations are made unforgettable by its diversity of outgoing locals who warmly welcome visitors.  Free travel guides, maps, online booking and detailed information are available at www.ExperienceColumbus.com or by calling 866.397.2657 (866.EXP.COLS). Visitor information is also available on Facebook: facebook.com/ExperienceColumbus and facebook.com/ColumbusFoodScene, Twitter: @ExpCols and Pinterest.

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