YOLO Event: Tour of Annie Leibovitz Exhibit

Going through my Unilocal review queue, I realized that I forgot to submit my review after this event. This was a really great event, so even though it’s late, I still want to put in my 5 cents (in the form of stars hehe)!
I love museums and have never been to SJMA before so I totally jumped at the opportunity to get a guided tour of the Annie Leibovitz exhibit.
I had a friend visiting from SoCal who came along as my +1 and I showed her around San Pedro Market Square before the tour. The museum was really nice! I loved the architecture and how it is situated amidst the tall modern buildings in the area. And you feel really special to be part of the exclusive group that is allowed to enter the museum after-​hours.
I was not that familiar with Annie Leibovitz’s work before (besides reading up on her on wikipedia before the event hehe), but I found the concept of the exhibit really interesting. Her pilgrimage to various places of famous/​important events or people was very awe-​inspiring.
It’s awesome that Unilocal elite events can range from food tastings to a night at the theater to museum exhibits. Thanks Unilocal and Abby for helping us get our dose of culture!

I got into this event as a friend’s last minute +1 and am grateful I did. I was somewhat familiar with Annie Leibovitz’ work but the curator added even more depth to her photos as he excitedly explained each. Not only is her work beautiful but this exhibit tells historic tales.

Definitely one of the reasons why I love Unilocal and being an Elite is a plus!
Annie Liebovitz’ Pilgrimage private VIP tour with an affable guide filled my 411 on this famous photographer.
We were graced with bits n pieces of info about her travels and what got her interested in taking some of the photos in the exhibit.
Although we weren’t allowed to take pictures some of her collections were burnt in my memory. Lincoln’s gloves and top hat was one of them. The shot of maybe the first ever staged pic was eye opening.
Her attention to detail was evident in every photos! What a gifted photographer!
Thanks to SJ museum for treating us like rock stars! Abby it was a great event again! I always look forward to coming to this venue! Unilocal thanks a bunch! Woohoo!

Unilocalers, we’re a classy bunch. We go to museums and stuff.
I’ve been an Annie Leibovitz fan for years and years. Her portraits are the stuff of legend so when I heard about this exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art I was pretty stoked. And then to hear that Unilocal was offering a docent guided tour to the Unilocal Elite? OMG, please pick ME!
And I was and I did. I’ve never been to this particular museum before but I must say, it’s as lovely as any I’ve been to in the past. For those people who were expecting Annie’s usual portrait work, this exhibition is devoid of those. Instead, the photographs represent «talismans and landmarks of American history.» Our docent was extremely knowledgeable about the photographs and added a lot to the experience. There were 70 photographs on display and they were arranged in smaller groupings where there was a common thread.
An example of this would be the Abraham Lincoln /​Pete Seeger grouping. Normally you wouldn’t expect an American president and a folk singer to have a lot in common. However, both men grew up or lived in log cabins and both were staunch supporters of freedom for all men. Each «grouping» is accompanied with a placard on the wall, describing what you’re looking at.
This exhibition is a definite must see for those interested in photography or simply want a glimpse inside the amazing mind of Annie Leibovitz and what makes her tick.

This was such a great experience! My friend & I enjoyed Annie Leibovitz’s Exhibit. I love the history that ties in w/​her photographs. Her photographs all tell a story, which draws you in. I love photography, but this exhibit opens up new doors for me in my pursuit to finding my niche in photography. What a beautiful exhibit to capture the essence of true photography & people’s stories. I’m definitely coming back!

What a wonderful event!
I’m a native of San Jose, and I have never EVER stepped a foot inside this museum, so I am extremely happy that my first time was a Unilocal event, but more importantly, that my first time won’t certainly be my last time!
The exhibit was a highlight of Annie Leibovitz documentation of America as she traveled across the US of A. The walls were lined up with beautiful and artistic shots seen through her perspective.
I believe Danny (sorry if I forgot your name!) was the curator for the event and he spoke passionately and with a lot of knowledge on Annie Leibovitz’s work. I honestly wish that the exhibit of her work was larger, I was so intrigued by her work that I just had to see more!
One thing that I particularly liked at this exhibit was how she framed her photos. It seemed as if she stitched together a series of shots and imperfectly blended the layers next to each other, creating an illusion of individual portions of a picture being laid on top of each other. It was on the dress photo, as well as the Yosemite Valley photo.
Thanks a lot Abby for putting this together! You can bet I’ll be back!

Dropping in a bit late I made it just in time for the tour.
The guide went wall by wall, giving a bit of detail and humanity to each piece. Explaining a bit of back story he really gave the pieces depth, allowing up to grasp how minute and yet all encompassing of humanity each piece was.
My favourites of the exhibit were the photographs of Lincoln’s hands, his top hat and gloves as well as Annie Oakley’s boots and a breathtaking look at Niagara Falls.
With such a gorgeous and truly historically stimulating collection, I felt moved by many of the pieces, and the concept that all of the pictures were connected, in some small way, as if every single one of them invited us into their history.

Annie Leibovitz… I’ve never heard of her before but now I’ll definitely know about her and her amazing work.
I came here for a Unilocal YOLO event and I’m glad I went. We had a private tour with a guide to help explain her work in better detail. Our guide explained how Annie went on a personal pilgrimage across the US and other countries like Great Britain and along the way she took bits and pieces of her adventures home for us to see.
One of my favorite photo was the photo of a famous opera singer’s dress. She took this picture in pieces and collaborated them together to make this one stunning photo. Our guide also gave a little background and fun facts into some of her work, great guide!
Special thanks to the SJ Art Museum, staff, and Abby for giving us the chance to preview Annie Leibovitz work!
We weren’t allowed to take any pictures of her work so if you want to see some stunning photos taken by Annie Leibovits, you must go now! This is definitely a must go to exhibit!

Trying something different as a couple, the hubs & I thought this would be an interesting exhibit to go to… fine just me since the hubs is not that into art, but tried to for me (d’awww). Anyhoo, we arrived at SJMA 15 minutes early, got our name badges & stood around chatting while waiting for the tour to start. We had an intimate little group of about 30 people which was nice since we all got enough room without getting in each other’s faces, haha.
Danny was the curator & our docent for the exhibit tonight. He went wall to wall explaining some of the pieces, making connections from one set to the next in Annie Leibovitz’s pilgrimage to various places. Some of my favorites pieces included the Lincoln wall, Annie Oakley’s boots, Sigmund Freud’s books & Elvis Presley’s shot up television set. Too bad the exhibit wasn’t bigger, I wanted more!
I would definitely recommend seeing this exhibit even if you aren’t an art fan like my hubs because he even enjoyed looking through parts of the exhibit. It was all beautifully put together so that we could join Annie on her pilgrimage through many important historical figures & how they were all interconnected together, influencing one another.
Thank you Abby for coordinating this docent led tour for us & to SJMA for hosting us! Also thanks to Danny for guiding us through the exhibit :)