Stephanie Greenman Stone (415) 379-5121
sstone@calacademy.org

Pat Kilduff (415) 321-8125

The California Academy of Sciences is Proud to Premier
New Photographs by Sebastião Salgado
Lecture, slideshow, and book signing on October 29 at 8:00 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (September 30, 2004) - A world-renowned photographer and part of the tradition of "concerned photography," Sebastião Salgado has been awarded virtually every major photographic prize from institutions around the world. His photographic work has often focused on the plight of the masses and the conditions in which they live and work in the developing world.

In his latest project, Genesis: Images of the World, Salgado intends to return to the beginnings of our planet: to the air, water and fire that gave birth to life; to the animal species that have resisted domestication and are still "wild;" to the remote tribes whose "primitive" way of life is largely untouched; and to surviving examples of the earliest forms of human settlement and organization. He started this photographic project in January 2004 and plans to complete it by 2011.

Salgado's past projects include: Other Americas, a meditative exploration of peasant cultures and the cultural resistance of Native Americans in Mexico and Brazil; Workers, a documentary shot in 26 countries on the end of large-scale manual labor; Migrations, which traced the paths of peoples from 43 countries who abandoned the countryside for the cities; and Terra: Struggle of the Landless, which focused on those fighting to reclaim their land in Salgado's native country of Brazil.

On October 29, join us for a special presentation by one of the world's sharpest consciences behind the camera lens. During his talk, Salgado will debut 70 new images from the Genesis project. The evening, which is co-sponsored by Global Exchange, will also raise awareness of Insituto Terra, a nature restoration project in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil created by Salgado and his wife. Since 1998, more than 500,000 trees have been planted, and the project is at the heart of a much larger community effort focusing on sustainable development in the Rio Doce valley. A book signing will follow the lecture.

CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE NOTE
Friday October 29, 8 pm. This California Academy of Sciences lecture takes place at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco at 3200 California Street. Price: $6 students, $8 general. For tickets, call the JCCSF Box Office at (415) 292-1233 or e-mail arts@jccsf.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door, when available. For more information, call (415) 379-8000 or e-mail lectures@calacademy.org.

The California Academy of Sciences, including Steinhart Aquarium and the Natural History Museum, is open to the public at 875 Howard Street. Admission to the Academy at 875 Howard Street is: $7 for adults, $4.50 for youth ages 12 to 17, Seniors ages 65+ and students with valid ID, $2 for children ages four to 11 and children ages three and younger will be admitted free of charge. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. www.calacademy.org (415) 379-8000.

The California Academy of Sciences, the fourth largest natural history museum in the United States, is home to Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium and the Natural History Museum. The Academy is beginning an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. Pritzker prize-winning architect Renzo Piano is designing the new Academy, which is expected to open in 2008.

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