LOUISVILLE, KY.- The Speed Art Museum announces City/Country: Photographs from the Henry V. Heuser, Jr. Collection on view June 7 to September 13, 2009. Admission is free.

This exhibition presents highlights from more than 500 works, generously donated or loaned to the Speed by Louisville businessman and philanthropist Henry V. Heuser, Jr. This celebration of Heuser’s achievement as a collector and museum supporter features work by some of this country’s most important American photographers, including Harry Callahan, Ray Metzker, and Garry Winogrand.

“Bill Carner from the Photographic Archives of the University of Louisville and I spent several days going through well over 500 photographs,” said Curator of Contemporary Art, Suzanne Weaver. “The result is a large-scale and visually stunning exhibition that includes nearly 100 black and white and color photographs which showcases several key American photographers and developments in post-1950s photographic practices.”

Since his youth, Henry Heuser has loved art and has evolved into an ardent collector. Beginning in the 1970s, Heuser became especially interested in the work of contemporary American photographers and through the years has built a collection containing hundreds of photographic works.

Mr. Heuser said of his donation to the museum, “Before myself and others actively donated photography to the Speed, it already had wonderful things – any museum would be envious to have. I’m pleased the museum is interested in photography and will continue to develop exciting programs around the collection.” Heuser is glad that his collection will be exhibited as he gave it so that the public would have the opportunity to see and appreciate it.

City/Country is presented as part the 2009 Louisville Visual Arts Festival, a citywide celebration of visual arts in Louisville. This year’s festival celebrates the Center for Photographic Studies, a Louisville alternative school for photography, which was open from 1970 to 1978. During its eight-year existence, the Center attracted students from over 35 states and foreign countries to its full-time resident program and provided instruction and darkroom access for hundreds of students in the Louisville area. To honor its contribution to Louisville, an area highlighting works by participants involved with the Center will be featured within the exhibition including Aaron Siskind and Ralph Eugene Meatyard. For information about the Louisville Visual Art Festival, visit www.paulpalettigallery.com/upcoming.

In conjunction with the exhibition opening, a public panel on the collecting and care of photography will be held on June 7, 2009 from 1- 2:30 pm. Panelists include Suzanne Weaver / Speed Curator of Contemporary Art; Paul Paletti / Collector and Owner of Paul Paletti Gallery; Bill Carner / University of Louisville Photographic Archives; Henry V. Heuser, Jr. / Louisville collector; and Jerry Zbrial / The Collected Image Gallery. Admission to this panel is free.

This exhibition is made possible with the generous support of Mary and Al Shands, Anonymous, and The Sutherland Foundation.