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Calendar alumni continuing education current students graduate degrees BFA degrees
Annie Leibovitz Awarded Honorary Degree, Doctor of Fine Arts
at the Corcoran College of Art + Design
Saturday, May 24, 2008
4/22/2008

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Mike Harreld, and President of the Corcoran College of Art + Design Paul Greenhalgh are proud to announce that the College will honor Annie Leibovitz, world-renowned photographer, with an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Fine Arts, at this year’s College graduation on Saturday, May 24 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

“It is truly the Corcoran's honor to recognize Ms. Leibovitz, and to celebrate her extraordinary artistry, in this way. Our graduating seniors and their families will be delighted to share her company at Commencement,” said Kirk Pillow, Acting Dean of the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

Annually, the Corcoran College of Art + Design honors an artist who has contributed significantly to the advancement of his or her discipline and to the collective body of related knowledge in the visual arts. Past recipients of this prestigious award include: Phyllis Lambert, architect (2007), Sally Mann, photographer (2006), and Karim Rashid, designer (2005).

Annie Leibovitz’s powerful portraits have been appearing on magazine covers for more than 30 years, and she is recognized as one of the most influential photographers in the world. While studying painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, Leibovitz took night classes in photography, and in 1970, she began working for Rolling Stone magazine. Her first major assignment was for a cover story on John Lennon, and in 1973, she became Rolling Stone’s chief photographer. By the time she left the magazine—10 years later—she had shot 142 covers and published photo essays on scores of stories, including her memorable accounts of the resignation of Richard Nixon and the 1975 Rolling Stones tour.

Leibovitz joined the staff of Vanity Fair in 1983, and in 1998, also began working for Vogue. In addition to her magazine editorial work, she has created influential advertising campaigns for American Express, the Gap, Givenchy, The Sopranos and the Milk Board. Leibovitz has published several books and exhibited widely, including shows at the International Center of Photography in New York, and the National Portrait Gallery and Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Leibovitz is the recipient of many honors, including the Infinity Award in Applied Photography from the International Center of Photography and the Barnard College Medal of Distinction. She is a Commandeur in the French government’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In a compilation of the 40 top magazine covers of the past 40 years produced by the American Society of Magazine editors (2005), Leibovitz was awarded both number one (photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono taken for Rolling Stone the day Lennon was shot) and number two (pregnant Demi Moore for Vanity Fair). She has been designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress and one of 35 “innovators of our time” by Smithsonian Magazine.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN
The Corcoran Gallery of Art, a privately funded institution, was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first and largest non-federal museum of art. It is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture and the decorative arts. Founded in 1890, the Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only four-year college of art and design offering BFA degrees in Photojournalism, Digital Media Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography; AFA degrees in Digital Media Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography; a five-year Bachelor of Fine Arts/Master of Arts in Teaching (BFA/MAT); and a two-year Master of Arts (MA) in Interior Design or History of Decorative Arts. The College’s Continuing Education program offers part-time credit and non-credit classes for children and adults and draws more than 2,500 participants each year.