David Burnett – Too Close Exhibit @ UMFA (SLC: Oct 7 - Jan 29)

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

--Shelbey Peterson, UMFA Public Relations Associate, 801-585-5198, shelbey.peterson@umfa.utah.edu

--Jill Dawsey, UMFA Chief Curator, 801-585-3475, jill.dawsey@umfa.utah.edu

David Burnett – Too Close

Critical Moments of Our History Captured in Photographs

Salt Lake City, UT - The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is pleased to present David Burnett – Too Close, a look at a lifetime of iconic events captured by photojournalist David Burnett (b. 1946). The exhibition will be on view in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at the University of Utah from October 7, 2011 through January 29, 2012. Burnett will travel from New York to Salt Lake City to give a free public lecture at the UMFA on October 6 at 6 pm.

Organized by Jill Dawsey, chief curator at the UMFA, David Burnett – Too Close comprises over 50 photographs by Burnett, offering museum visitors a glimpse into critical moments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Recognized as one of the “100 Most Important People in Photography” by American Photo Magazine, Burnett has traveled to over 80 countries to cover wars, political figures, celebrities, and ordinary people in everyday life.

A Salt Lake City native, Burnett began his career as a freelancer for Time and LIFE magazines. In 1976 he co-founded Contact Press Images, a photo agency in New York City. Over the past four decades, he has covered such pivotal events as the Vietnam War, the 1984 drought in Ethiopia, Hurricane Katrina in 2006, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Burnett is also known for capturing intimate images of public figures ranging from Barack Obama to Bob Marley.

His numerous awards include the National Press Photographers Association’s Magazine Photographer of Year, the World Press Photo of the Year, and Best Campaign Picture. National Geographic described Burnett as “someone who can—no matter how challenging the assignment—return with the picture.”

“We are delighted and honored to welcome this world-renowned photojournalist back to his hometown,” said Jill Dawsey, chief curator at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. “Burnett’s body of work is astonishing both for its formal innovations—he is an expert in so many photographic techniques and technologies—and for the expansive sweep of late 20th and 21st century history that he has captured.”

David Burnett – Too Close is generously sponsored by the Joseph and Evelyn Rosenblatt Charitable Fund.

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The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is located on the University of Utah campus in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive. The UMFA’s mission is to engage visitors in discovering meaningful connections with the artistic expressions of the world’s cultures. General admission is $7 adults, $5 youth and seniors, FREE for U of U students/staff/faculty, UMFA members, and children under six years old. Free admission offered the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks program. Museum hours are Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Wednesdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Weekends, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Mondays and holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu.