(West Palm Beach, FL)  Fatima NeJame, president and chief executive officer of the world renowned Palm Beach Photographic Centre (PBPC), today announced the December 4 Grand Opening of the nonprofit organization’s new Leica Shop-in-Shop, a boutique-like retail space located within PBPC’s Pro Shop for Photographers.

To celebrate the Grand Opening, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre is inviting the public to a number of special events:

Friday, December 4 – Leica Grand Opening

6:30 to 8 p.m.

The opening of both the Leica Shop-in-Shop at PBPC, and the exhibition Empathy by national news anchor & Leica M photographer Ann Curry. FREE

Saturday, December 5 – Ann Curry: Empathy

10 to 11 a.m.

A lecture by Ann Curry about the photos in her exhibition to be held in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, City Center. FREE

11:30 to Noon

Ms. Curry will autograph exhibition posters in the Leica Shop-in-Shop within PBPC’s Pro Shop for Photographers.

“My travels have convinced me that no human being is really foreign to another. We have so much in common; the truth is we are surrounded by our sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, each life precious. It is time for us to stand up against the suffering caused by genocide, war and ignorance. If we care enough about our human family, we can change the future, said Ms. Curry.

Saturday, December 5 – Leica

7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

M9 Workshop with Justin Stailey, Leica Product Specialist. Leica Shop in Shop, Space Limited. $25

2 to 4 p.m.

S2 Interactive Lecture and Photo Shoot with Justin Stailey. PBPC Photo Studio (2nd Floor). Space Limited. $25

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Product Demonstration of the new Leica M9, X1 and S2 in the Leica Shop in Shop. FREE

“These workshops will be a unique opportunity for photographers to actually work with Leica’s best and newest cameras, the M9 and the S2. In fact, this will be the first M9 workshop and one of the first S2 Photo Shoots in the country,” said Roland Wolff, Leica’s director of new business development.

About the New Leica Shop-in-Shop in
West Palm Beach:

As announced earlier this week by Leica Camera, Inc./USA, “this will be the first Leica Shop-in-Shop to introduce the new Leica Store design to the U.S. market following debuts in Berlin, London, Paris and Moscow. The event will feature commentary from Leica Camera U.S. President Roger Horn and PBPC President Fatima NeJame.”

To celebrate the grand opening of the Leica Shop-in-Shop, PBPC will host award-winning news anchor and Leica M photographer Ann Curry for the opening of her exhibition “Empathy” on December 4th and a lecture on December 5th.  Ms. Curry’s news photographs will be showcased at the Gallery
through February 21, 2010. 

Additionally, Leica Camera will host new product demonstrations for the public on Saturday, December 5th, showcasing the recently unveiled LEICA M9, LEICA X1 and LEICA S2 and offer workshops with the M9 and the S2 on the same day.

“With the Palm Beach Photographic Centre’s world renowned reputation in the photography industry, we did not hesitate to collaborate with them on our first newly conceptualized ‘Shop-in-Shop’ at the Centre’s Pro Shop,” says Leica Camera U.S. President Roger Horn.   “Consumers and aficionados around the world visit the PBPC, and we are proud to partner with the Centre to create a unique retail experience in Southern Florida.”

PBPC’s Pro Shop for Photographers will offer Leica’s full product portfolio, from point-and-shoot cameras to rangefinder and medium format systems and binoculars. Similar to Leica’s products, this setting will follow Leica’s recently reinvented retail display, which utilizes premium design and materials to offer an impressionable and interactive experience.

About LEICA CAMERA:

Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, technology and experience.  It is at once an extension of art, knowledge and philosophy, providing a state-of-the-art optical experience in a precision, hand-made photographic instrument.  Leica Camera has a simple mission: to provide users with an incomparable experience, an instrument that defines an unsurpassed heritage and sets a standard of excellence for the industry to meet.

Throughout the world, Leica enjoys recognition and customer loyalty, because of its achievements in the photography industry and its uncompromising pursuit of high-quality standards.  Leica products are appreciated by discerning clientele; the handcrafted designs are fabricated with unmatched mechanical and optical precision and yet they have an extraordinary aura that can evoke feelings and emotions.  For more than 150 years, Leica has maintained a tradition of precision manufacturing and consistent innovation, which have steadily reinforced its preeminent worldwide reputation.

About the Palm Beach Photographic Centre:

Dedicated to the enrichment of life through education, exhibitions, community programs, workshops, and cultural activities that promote the art of photography and digital imaging, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre has been hailed by the highly respected Columbia Journalism Review as one of the world’s leading photo centers.

Located in a new 26,000 square foot home at City Center, the Palm Beach Photographic Centre has 4,000 square feet of exhibition space, 6,500 square feet of classrooms and studios, plus a 3,000 square-foot Pro Shop for Photographers stocked with state-of-the-art equipment, print gallery, an extensive library and digital printers to make oversize prints, plus the nation’s first Leica Camera Shop-in-Shop retail location.

The Photo Centre is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to the exhibition galleries is free through December 31.  Starting in January 2010, the admission to the exhibition galleries will be $5 per person, while the community gallery exhibitions will still be free.  Admission fees vary for different events, and pre-registration is required for seminars, FOTOshoots and computer labs. 

The Palm Beach Photographic Centre is located at
415 Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach.

For more information, please call 561.253.2600 or visit www.workshop.org or www.fotofusion.org.