STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE SPIRIT OF MODERN FRANCEWorks to be Focus of Los Angeles Gallery Exhibition and National TourismCampaign

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 26, 2009)

– As part of a cross-cultural educational and art project,eight U.S. college students were flown to Europe where they photographed their experience ofmodern French life. They will now have the privilege of seeing their work used in a major Frenchtourism advertising campaign created by France’s national tourist office, Maison de la France.The innovative project, called

Jeunes Talents

(“young talents”) is intended to capture the spirit ofmodern France through the eyes of a new generation of American artists. In addition to the plannedtourism campaign, photographs will be on view at Louis Stern Fine Arts, 9002 Melrose Avenue, WestHollywood, in an exhibition also titled

Jeunes Talents

. VIP and press openings are set for Thursday,March 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. The exhibition opens to the general public on Friday, March 27 andruns through April 11, 2009.“

Jeunes Talents

is a unique opportunity for French cities to expand their visibility by being seenthrough the eyes of emerging American artists,” states Benoit Chollet, Director, Maison de la Francefor the Western U.S. “As a ground-breaking initiative that combines art and tourism, France and theUnited States,

Jeunes Talents

is a wonderful opportunity for young artists to be discovered.”The collection of images is stunning in its array of expression and subject matter. Ranging fromsurreal to naturalistic in style and covering architecture, portraiture and landscape in subject material,the images reveal perspectives on contemporary society that could only have been seen with fresheyes. Students were given free rein to interpret the daily life of the city where they were assigned,and the result is a radical departure from the old iconic imagery of France. In its totality, thiscollection represents a summation of the artist’s feelings and personal understanding of the regionthat they visited. It is a perspective that is by turns enlightening, beautiful and compelling.Participating colleges include three in Los Angeles, California and one in New Orleans, Louisiana.They are

Art Center College of Design

California Institute of the Arts

and

Otis College of Artand Design

in the Los Angeles region, and

Loyola University

in New Orleans. The program is a joint initiative of Maison de la France and French Cultural Services in Los Angeles. Other partnersinclude Air Tahiti Nui, Rail Europe and France Los Angeles Exchange (FLAX), a Los Angelesfoundation dedicated to fostering a better understanding of France through public and cultural artevents.“

Jeunes Talents

is a unique opportunity to open the boundaries of art, creativity and culturalexchange,” states Yann Perreau, Deputy Cultural Attaché, Los Angeles. “Take eight talented youngAmerican photographers. Put them in an unknown environment, such as a French city with its owntraditions and culture. Add key actors in the contemporary photography art scene, such as top artcolleges in the U.S., and mix this with a famous gallery known for challenging photography, such as