DOYLESTOWN, PA.- The James A. Michener Art Museum is proud to present Aging in America: The Years Ahead on view from March 17 through June 24, 2007 in the Fred Beans gallery. The exhibition features extraordinary black-and-white photographs from photojournalist Ed Kashi that shatter the stereotypes of aging.

Aging In America, The Years Ahead, was organized by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. This exhibition explores the uncharted territory of longevity and universal themes about the human condition through more than 50 large-format black-and-white photographs. Aging in America: The Years Ahead is sponsored by Pine Run Community.

By mid-century there will be more Americans over 55 than under 18 for the first time in history. This emotionally charged body of work brings realities of growing older to the forefront without stereotypes or sentimentality. From a 90-year-old heavy machine operator who still works full-time, to a foster care program for older adults, from an eighty-year-old couple getting married to the dying moments of an Alzheimer s patient, this exhibition is a powerful and realistic portrayal of what it means to age.

More than ten years ago, internationally acclaimed photographer Ed Kashi and writer Julie Winokur set out to document the new phenomenon of growing old in an era when the fastest growing segment of society is people over 85. They traveled from coast to coast, exploring the parallel universe of our elders. Their journey resulted in the groundbreaking exhibition Aging in America: The Years Ahead. This compassionate, often surprising, account confronts our existing attitudes about growing old and asks whether society is prepared to handle an aging population. Aging in America dares viewers to see old age through a new lens. It uses vivid storytelling, endearing characters and stunning imagery to defy expectations.

“Aging in America is a paragon for still-photography and audio storytelling on the web, raising the bar for online newsrooms,” declared the National Press Photographers Association. “Offering incredible depth, the package's emotional connection furthers the issue of aging in America for the reader and moves the issue in the realm of public discussion.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a shorter version of the documentary film Aging in America written and directed by Julie Winokur. Aging in America premiered on KQED Television, the San Francisco PBS affiliate, in September 2003, and won Best Educational Film from the Silver Images Film Festival in Chicago .

“ America is a society in collective denial of aging,” says Winokur. “We appreciate vintage in wine, not people; we ‘distress’ furniture to make it look old, but we pay a fortune to erase the wrinkles that time bestows on our faces.”

The photographs featured in the exhibition appear in the companion book for Aging in America, which was named “One of the Best Photo Books of 2003” by American Photo Magazine and the Village Voice. The book is available for purchase in the DeNoon Gift Shop at the Michener Art Museum .

In conjunction with this exhibition the Museum presents “Voice and Visions in an Aging America : A Roundtable Talk” on Thursday, April 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Michener in Doylestown. Join us in exploring the multiple perspectives of aging in America at a time when the fastest growing segment of society is people over 85. Panel members Dr. Christine Arenson, Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine of Jefferson Medical College, Vince Ceglia, artist and resident of Pine Run Community, and Dr. Helen Berezovsky, Michener Art Museum and community volunteer, will discuss their professional and personal experiences growing old in America . The roundtable is free and open to the public. Gallery admission not included. Advance registration required by calling 215-340-9800.