\u201cPhotography was brought into being by a desire to make pictures.\u201d\u2014Beaumont Newhall<\/p>\n
Curated by Deborah Klochko, executive director and chief curator of MOPA, the exhibition segments Bank of America\u2019s Art in Our Communities, a photographic expose designed to inspire audiences worldwide.<\/p>\n
The program, established in 2009, offers museums and nonprofit galleries public and free exhibitions. More than 130 showings have been displayed since the onset of this unique program.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoment in Time: A Collection of Photographs\u201d literally took years to come to life.<\/p>\n In 1967, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall were hired by Samuel William Sax, president of the Exchange National Bank of Chicago, to assemble America\u2019s first historic photographic exhibition. At the time, investing in fine art was common for banking institutions. Sax, a seasoned photographic collector, was convinced that photography was fine art and \u201cworthy of collecting.\u201d Work was amassed from the Museum of Modern Art, The George Eastman House and the Art Institute of Chicago.<\/p>\n Bank of America, current owners of the collection, approached San Diego\u2019s MOPA to exhibit an assortment of the celebrated compilation. San Diego embraced the idea with open arms.<\/p>\n \u201cArts enriches our communities, celebrates the past and inspires our future,\u201d said Rick Bregman, San Diego market president for Bank of America. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to partner with the Museum of Photographic Arts by lending pieces from our Bank of America collection for the benefit of all visitors. By sharing these intriguing photographic works, we hope to foster great learning and inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n Trailblazing photography icons, dating back to the 1800s, reign among the works on display.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018A Moment in Time: A Collection of Photographs\u2019 is not only a fabulous exhibition for MOPA \u2014 the collection represents the greatest hits of the best-known photographers and their iconic images,\u201d said Klochko.<\/p>\n The exhibition is divided into three sections. \u201cHistory\u201d opens the door to understanding \u201cwhat goes on in photography.\u201d William Henry Fox Talbot, credited as one of the inventors of photography, dates photos from 1843. Julie Margaret Cameron, one of America\u2019s first female photographers, is featured along with Lewis Wickes Hine\u2019s immigrants entering Ellis Island and child laborers in Chicago and Pennsylvania. Timothy Sullivan\u2019s photographs of the West give way to Edward Steichen\u2019s New York portraits.<\/p>\n \u201cChicago\u201d follows suit, sharing the exemplar as well as the eclectic. Aaron Siskind, Arthur Siegel, Harry Callahan and Art Sinsabaugh are also among the legends.<\/p>\n \u201cA Collection of Photographs\u201d finalizes the breathtaking, historical assortment, scanning the likes of Ansel Adams and Helen Levitt\u2019s New York circa 1945. Beaumont Newhall\u2019s work stretches between 1946 and 1970. Elliot Porter adds modern color as Man Ray exercises abstracts in black and white. Pirkle Jones highlights San Francisco while Edward Weston covers the 1920s and \u201930s.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it\u2019s wonderful to see the works in publication and online, it\u2019s not the same as experiencing the works in person,\u201d said Klochko. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to be surrounded by photographic art such as the beautiful landscapes of Ansel Adams and the amazing work of Minor White. People will recognize names within the collection as it brings history alive in multiple ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Sporting a master\u2019s of fine arts in photography from the SUNY, Buffalo, New York, and a \u201cstrong background in museum education,\u201d Klochko described her 12-year tenure at MOPA as the perfect role.<\/p>\n \u201cMy background in museum education works to promote what we do,\u201d she said. \u201cLearning becomes visual at MOPA. Our programs, exhibitions and activities encourage creativity and understanding of the history and power of the visual image.\u201d<\/p>\n Klochko noted that MOPA is \u201cpay-what-you-wish admission. \u201cAnyone can engage in the exhibition whether or not you choose to pay,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Touted as one of only three independent museums in America dedicated to a lens-based medium, MOPA, located in San Diego\u2019s historic Balboa Park, offers a calendar of \u201crelevant, thought-provoking and engaging exhibitions, film festivals and lifespan-learning opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, MOPA addresses cultural, historical and social subjects through its photographic exhibitions and educational programs.<\/p>\n \u201cPhotography\u2019s not a dying art,\u201d explained Klochko. \u201cPhotography is at the forefront of contemporary art. As the visual currency of our time, photography is more energized and robust than it\u2019s ever been. \u2018Moment in Time: A Collection of Photographs\u2019 shows the rich diversity and range of what the medium is capable of. From child labor to photograms to the powerful work of Barbara Morgan\u2019s dancers.\u201d<\/p>\n Dedicated to \u201csharing and exploring the universal language of photography,\u201d MOPA serves more than 100,000 visitors annually through its \u201cpresentation, collection, and preservation of photography, film, and video.\u201d<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s MOPA houses historical and contemporary photographic works and photojournalism materials and documents related to the medium\u2019s history. The Edmund L. & Nancy K. Dubois Library, located in MOPA, showcases more than 20,000 photographic artifacts including 8,500 photographs from over 700 artists as well as monographs, magazines, encyclopedias, and exhibition catalogs.<\/p>\n The exhibition is funded by Bank of America, the city of San Diego, the Gardner Bilingual Fund, and the Massey Charitable Trust. \u201cMoment in Time: A Collection of Photographs\u201d runs through Sept. 23. A coffee table book of the presentation is also available.<\/p>\n![\"Moments](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/SMK_5112.jpg\")
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