Gil Garcetti J.D. ’67

Known for his long career as a prosecutor and Los Angeles District Attorney, Gil Garcetti J.D. ’67 has spent more than 40 years as an urban photographer. His works are on display at UCLA’s Fowler Museum of Cultural History through June 4, 2006. The exhibition, Dance in Cuba: Photographs by Gil Garcetti, features a selection of 40 images, most of which are featured in Garcetti’s new book, Dance in Cuba.

In 2001, photographer Gil Garcetti traveled to Cuba for the first of several visits to the country. Captivated by how essential dance is to daily life in Cuba, Garcetti photographed dancers in various contexts, from professional ballerinas to street performers.

Garcetti had unprecedented access to professional dance studios by collaborating with Alicia Alonso (director), Miguel Cabrera (official historian), and prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes of the famed Ballet Nacional de Cuba as well as with Miguel Ferrer, director of Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, and others. He has masterfully used his camera to freeze dramatic moments and chronicle this enigmatic country with its flourishing dance traditions.

Associated with the exhibition, the Fowler Museum is arranging several special events. On May 11, Rosa Lowinger, journalist and co-author of the recent book Tropicana Nights, recounts the evolution of the celebrated Tropicana nightclub and explores the various dance and music forms that developed out of the club against the backdrop of a pre-Castro Cuba. This event is free to all visitors. On May 13, Garcetti will lead a photography workshop designed for adults and families with children ages 10 and up. Bring your cameras and photograph UCLA students demonstrating the various dances of Cuba. This event is free for members and $15 for nonmembers. Reservations are required and can be obtained by calling 310-825-7325.

Garcetti’s photography books, Iron: Erecting the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Frozen Music have received critical praise in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Oregonian, The Washington Post among other publications. In 2003, Garcetti’s photographs were featured at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. and American Photo magazine named him one of the nation’s master photographers.

Garcetti spent 32 years in the District Attorney’s office, serving eight years as Los Angeles’ District Attorney. During his two terms, he advocated policies and programs targeting domestic violence, sex crimes, child physical abuse, hate crimes, stalking, elder abuse, juvenile crime and chronic truancy. Garcetti has been in the spotlight for a number of high-profile cases including the 1992 Rodney King and 1995 O.J. Simpson trials. After leaving office in 2000, Garcetti was a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is currently president of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.