December, 2015- Palm Beach Photographic Centre Announces 21st Annual FOTOfusion – January 19-23, 2016
Special Exhibition by Legendary Sports Photographer Walter Iooss, Jr., Recipient of FOTOfusion’s Prestigious FOTOmentor Award 2016
Public is Invited to FREE Opening Reception on January 21 & FOTOvision Outdoor Photography Presentation on January 22
(West Palm Beach, FL – December 3, 2015) Fatima NeJame, president and chief executive officer of the world-renowned Palm Beach Photographic Centre (PBPC), today announced that the nonprofit organization’s 21st annual FOTOfusion will spotlight legendary photographer Walter Iooss, Jr., who has shot more than 300 covers for Sports Illustrated.
FOTOfusion, the popular cultural festival “where creativity and technology fuse,” attracts hundreds of professional and hobbyist photographers to West Palm Beach for five days of workshops, lectures, panel discussions, multimedia presentations, portfolio reviews, hands-on computer classes, demonstrations, and photo shoots taught by more than 60 world renowned photographers, digital imaging artists and picture editors – all of whom donate their time and expertise to educate, mentor and encourage creativity among participants of all levels and ages.
Among the highlights of FOTOfusion 2016 will be:
FOTOmentor Award
The annual FOTOmentor Award will be presented to Walter Iooss, Jr., the legendary photographer who has been hailed as “the poet laureate of sports.” In his half-century career at Sports Illustrated, he has shot more than 300 magazine covers and photographed the annual Swimsuit Issue more than 40 times. Iooss is known for his award-winning images of the world’s greatest athletes, including Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Scottie Pippen, Kelly Slater and more.
From 1968 through 1972, Iooss was in-house photographer for Atlantic Records in New York, where his subjects included James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. In 2004, he received the prestigious LUCIE Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports Photography. Recent exhibitions of his work include “Athlete: The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss” at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and “SPORT: Iooss & Leifer” at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.
Each year, the PBPC Awards Committee selects a photographer to receive the FOTOmentor Award in honor of his/her lifetime achievements in the world of photography. Among the previous recipients of this prestigious award are Joyce Tenneson, Bill Eppridge, Ralph Gibson, Gordon Parks, Sebastiao Salgado, Arnold Newman, Ruth Bernhard, David Hume Kennerly, Duane Michaels and David Rubinger.
The annual FOTOfusion Awards Dinner will be held on Wednesday, January 20, at 6 pm, in the Lakeside Pavilion at the Waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach. The cost to attend is $200 per person and tickets are available by calling the Photo Centre at 561.253.2600.
FREE Public Events
The public is invited to several FREE events as part of FOTOfusion 2016, including:
+ Lecture by Walter Looss, Jr. in the auditorium at the Mandel Public Library – directly across from the Photo Centre – at 1 pm on Thursday, January 21.
+ Opening Reception for Walter Iooss Exhibition at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre on January 21 from 6 to 8 pm.
+ FOTOvision, a series of short films about photography, held on the Great Lawn in downtown West Palm Beach on Friday, January 22, at 8 pm. In celebration of FOTOfusion’s 21st anniversary, this community event is sponsored by the Downtown Development Authority and The Arts and Entertainment District, which are also sponsoring the eye-catching banners along Clematis Street that will feature photography by FOTOfusion instructors and presenters.
FOTOfusion 2016
Among the other events and activities scheduled for FOTOfusion 2016 are:
+ Portfolio Reviews by 100 Experts
+ FOTOshoots guided by Master Photographers
+ Seminars & Panel Discussions
+ Hands-on Computer Labs
+ Multimedia Presentations
+ Photography & Digital Art Exhibitions
+ Book Signings & Gallery Walks
+ Fuse & Schmooze Parties Nightly
+ FOTOfusion Technology Centre
About the Palm Beach Photographic Centre:
A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre is dedicated to the enrichment of life through photographic exhibitions, workshops, community programs, and other educational and cultural events that promote the photographic arts. Located in the City Center municipal complex at 415 Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, the Photo Centre’s hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Thursday, and 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, please call 561.253.2600 or visit www.workshop.org or www.fotofusion.org.
