SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA.- Photo LA 2004, the 13th annual Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition will be held January 15-18, 2004 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, California. 

Seventy-five galleries and private dealers from across the country and around the globe will participate in the largest and longest running photographic art exhibition in the West. The finest photographic art, from the earliest 19th century photographic experiments to the most contemporary photography and photo-based art, will be exhibited for sale. Last year’s event saw record attendance, attracting over 6,000 visitors, and more are expected this year. This is an unparalleled opportunity for collectors, curators and photographers to view thousands of images. Works by Diane Arbus, Ruth Bernhard, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Imogen Cunningham, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Lauren Greenfield, Lynn Geesaman, Lewis Hine, Andre Kertesz, Man Ray, Luis Gonzalez Palma, Aaron Siskind, Paul Strand, Weegee, Gary Winogrand and many others will be included. 

Benefit Reception on January 15, 6 - 9PM. The opening night reception will take place on Thursday, January 15, 2004, from 6 to 9 pm and will be hosted by Viggo Mortensen. The proceeds will benefit the Photography Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Tickets to the gala celebration are fifty dollars and may be purchased at the door on the evening of the event or through LACMA. To place ticket orders please call 323-932-5846. 

Lectures & Seminars - Seminars and lecture panels will be held Friday, January 16-18. Seminar panelists include: Keith F. Davis, curator of the Hallmark Collection, Anne Tucker, curator of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and Doug Nickel, Director of the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson. Guest speakers include acclaimed photographers: Joel Peter- Witkin, whose compelling images are noted for their complex juxtaposition of beauty and oddity; Susan Meiselas, award-winning documentary photographer working on projects in India, Chile, Nicaragua, and El Salvador; Steve McCurry, recipient of numerous awards for his evocative color images of international and civil conflict; Lynn Geesaman, whose dramatic images of public and private gardens worldwide are highly recognized for their unique printing technique, and are the subject of a new monograph being published by Aperture; Sally Gall, best-known for her ethereal black and white photographs from her travels to the most remote places around the globe. Seminars are conducted at 9am before public hours, and are limited to thirty people. Reservations are required. Please call for a schedule of events. Tickets are sixty-five dollars per seminar and include a three-day pass to photo la.