This fall, The Light Factory will launch a distinguished lecture series called Luminaries: Artists Behind the Viewfinder, which will recognize masters in the fields of photography and filmmaking.  The series will not only celebrate the individual artist, but will use that artist to expose the Charlotte community to the aesthetic excellence of fine art.  This series is made possible by the Knight Foundation.

The first lecture will take place in early December and will be given by Danny Lyon, a self-taught American photographer and filmmaker, who made his name as a pioneer of the “street photography” genre in the 1960s.  His work will be on display in the exhibition Streetwise, from October 3 to January 15, 2012 at The Light Factory.

Danny Lyon received the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship for photography in 1969 and filmmaking in 1979. He is a founder of the “New Journalism” photographic movement, wherein a photographer immerses himself completely with his subject.  He is most noted for work he created during the Civil Rights movement and for his book of photography Conversations with the Dead, which depicts prison life in Texas.

The Light Factory exhibits work from noted and respected artists. We would like to be able to bring more of these artists to Charlotte so that audiences can not only benefit from viewing their work, but also learn from these artists about their processes and ideas in creating film, photography and media.

The Light Factory is one of only four museums in the United States that promote the power of image through photography and film. Since 1972, The Light Factory has served students, artists and the public at large by offering film screenings, photography exhibits, classes and outreach. The Light Factory is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization.  Learn more at www.lightfactory.org.