From May 16 to October 11, 2009 the New Orleans Museum of Art presented The Art of Caring: A Look at Life through Photography, a major exhibition of more than 200 works exploring the moments that shape our being, from intimate memories to historic tragedies. Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz set the tone with a preface comprised of images hand-picked from her archive to illustrate the exhibition’s seven thematic components: Children and Family, Love, Wellness, Disaster, Caregiving and Healing, Aging, and Remembering.

Initial funding for The Art of Caring was generously provided by the National Hospice Foundation. Additional funding was received from the Steere Family and from Wally Findlay Galleries International Inc.

The Art of Caring showcases several works from Time & LIFE Pictures, including recognizable classics by such legendary photographers as Alfred Eisenstadt and W. Eugene Smith. Contemporary artists included other established photographers such as Tina Barney, Nan Goldin, Sally Mann, Larry Sultan, Chester Higgins, Robert Polidori, Tatsumi Orimoto, Nicholas Nixon, Dona Schwartz and Neal Slavin. The exhibition also featured the work of emerging artists Elinor Carucci, Albert Chong, Misty Keasler, Jessica Todd Harper, Jeff Charbonneau and Eliza French.