DOYLESTOWN, PA.-The James A. Michener Art Museum presents 2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, photographs by Brian Finke on view in the Fred Beans Gallery at the Museum’s Doylestown location November 4, 2007 through March 2, 2008. Showcasing the paradoxically diverse personalities that make up such uniform teams as football players and cheerleaders, Finke’s photographs take on issues of adolescence, sexuality and social behavior.

“Brian Finke has managed to create photographs of the world of football and cheerleading that are both thoughtful and light-hearted. He brings a respectful, amused, and insightful eye to the complex universe our teenagers live in—struggling to grow into themselves as individuals, but also wanting to fit in, to be part of a team,” says Brian H. Peterson, Senior Curator at the Michener Art Museum .

This exhibition is sponsored by Eastcom Wireless and Tom Newman, Wachovia Securities.

Kathy Ryan, The New York Times Magazine photo editor, adds about the exhibit, “What makes the work so memorable is that tension between Finke’s bright, cheerful, sunny lighting and the darker expression of the subjects. . . His way of working captures a moment where the person is caught in the zone between living in that moment and somehow being outside of it.”

For two years, Brian Finke traveled across the country photographing high school and college level cheerleading and football teams at camps and competition. Finke’s work is not judgmental, but rather tells the stories of the cheerleaders and football players with respect and reverence. “In my photos these teens struggle between being part of a group and defining themselves,” explains Finke. “I am very fortunate to be granted the kind of access to these subjects that allows me to create extremely private and personal images.”

Brian Finke received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1998. His clients include The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek and Esquire. He has also worked with Nike, ESPN U, IBM and Rolling Stone.

Finke has received numerous grants and awards, including the Award of Excellence from the Alexia Foundation for World Peace in 1998 and the World Press Photo Masterclass Award in 2001. His work has been exhibited internationally and is included in collections around the world.

On Tuesday, November 6 at 1 p.m., Brian Finke gives an Artist’s lecture at the Museum in Doylestown. The fee for this exhibition lecture is $8.00 for members and $12.00 for non-members. The price includes general museum admission.

Advance registration is required; please call (215) 340-9800 or visit www.michenerartmuseum.org.

A 127-page monograph by Umbrage Editions, 2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, Photographs by Brian Finke, Essay by Zev Borow and interview with Kathy Ryan, is available in the Museum shops for $31.50 for members and $35.00 for non-members.

Annual support for the Michener Art Museum is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Bucks County Commissioners and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.