Jeff Bridges and Susan Bridges Exhibitions Open October 22

The Napa Valley Museum Yountville announces two new exhibitions on display from October 22, 2022 through April 30, 2023:

In the Main Gallery: Jeff Bridges: Pictures, an exhibition exploring the work of the Oscar-winning actor, author and acclaimed photographer.

Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges is a giant of American cinema, with dozens of leading credits to his name, but he is also a renowned photographer whose work has been published in numerous books and exhibitions. For more than 30 years, Bridges has captured the creative world of moviemaking through scenes shot on a variety of film sets using his specialized Widelux F8 panoramic camera. The result is a fascinating, surprisingly candid body of photographic work offering a vision of Hollywood that is both intimately human and formally beautiful.

The exhibition spotlights Jeff Bridges' artistic process and photographic techniques, informed by a collection of his private "film shoot" books, proof sheets and camera, plus quotes from Bridges himself, providing insight into the exceptional work of this multifaceted, talented artist. For this exhibition, these wide format photographs have been enlarged to allow the visitor to fully appreciate the vast scope and meticulous detail of these "movies within a movie," providing behind the scenes access to the process of filmmaking, as well as evidencing the potential of the Widelux format in the hands of a skilled photographer.

In the Spotlight and History Galleries: SUSAN BRIDGES: Inside Heaven's Gate.

This striking collection of photos brings the 19th century vividly back to life in the 21st century in the Museum's History and Spotlight Galleries. During the filming of the epic 1980 western Heaven's Gate, Susan Bridges took behind-the-scenes photos of the actors, sets, and scenery. Her photos capture never- before-seen glimpses from the director's chair and intimate portraits shot on location near Glacier National Park in 1979.

About the Exhibitions:

"We are thrilled that our first joint photography exhibit is in Yountville at the Napa Valley Museum. Although we live and work primarily in Southern California, Northern California is a special place to our family. Jeff's dad, Lloyd Bridges, was from Petaluma in Sonoma County, and we have family who live in the San Francisco Bay Area. We enjoy our frequent visits to the Napa Valley."

- Jeff Bridges & Susan Bridges

"The Museum is proud to present the first joint exhibition of the works of these two photographers, who bring a lifetime of shared experience - yet distinctly different viewpoints - to their photographic works. Jeff has earned serious recognition and acclaim as a photographer, including the 2013 International Center for Photography's Infinity Award as well as the 2022 American Society of Cinematographers Board of Governor's Award. While Susan's work is perhaps less well-known, she is quickly gaining attention for her 'Heaven's Gate' session photographs and the exquisite period detail they portray. Together their exhibitions not only showcase the artistic and technical possibilities of wide-format photography, but also vividly capture behind-the-scenes access to fascinating chapters in the history of filmmaking." - Laura Rafaty, Executive Director, Napa Valley Museum Yountville.

These exhibitions are presented with support from Bank of America, the Napa County Board of Supervisors, NVTID Yountville, and the members and supporters of the Napa Valley Museum.

Both exhibitions open at 11 am on Saturday, October 22, 2022. An Opening Celebration will be held from 5-7 pm on October 22 - tickets and information are available on the Museum's website. The Celebration is free for Museum Members. The Museum continues to celebrate its 50th Anniversary year with a raffle and auction: www.napavalleymuseum.org/auction, ongoing through October 24.

The Museum is open Thursdays through Sundays from 11- 4, and is located at 55 Presidents Circle in Yountville CA, (707) 944-0500. Closed major holidays. For more information about the Museum's hours, exhibitions and programs, or to join the Museum, please visit www.napavalleymuseum.org.

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