Leica Galleries Celebrate 50 Years of Culture and Women Photographers This International Women’s Month
Boston
This year, Leica Camera AG marks a milestone: fifty years of Leica Galleries (1976–2026), a global network that has consistently championed photography as both art and social record. From the opening of the first Leica Gallery at the company’s headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany, to a network spanning 26 cities worldwide, the galleries have provided a stage for iconic images and emerging talent alike, presenting photography as a medium that captures history, identity, and cultural dialogue. With around 150 exhibitions annually, the galleries balance contemporary innovation with legendary photographic works, building a legacy that continues to influence the global visual landscape.
Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director & Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, reflects on the anniversary: “From the Leica Galleries, a wonderful international network has grown – a Leica family in the truest sense. Photography is the most exciting artistic medium because a large proportion of the population encounters it daily.” To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Leica Gallery Wetzlar will host a major exhibition in June 2026 featuring 50 images nominated by gallery directors worldwide, celebrating the breadth and depth of Leica photography across generations.
International Women’s Month Exhibitions
As conversations around representation and visibility continue to evolve, Leica Galleries in New York, Los Angeles, and Boston are also celebrating women photographers whose work spans movement, identity, and community-driven storytelling.
NEW YORK | Ballet
Artists: Henry Leutwyler, Diana Markosian, Kylie Shea
On View: February 19 – March 29, 2026
Location: Leica Gallery New York, 406 West 13th Street
Artists: Henry Leutwyler, Diana Markosian, Kylie Shea
On View: February 19 – March 29, 2026
Location: Leica Gallery New York, 406 West 13th Street
In Ballet, the spotlight falls on movement, discipline, and personal transformation. Misty Copeland’s recent performance for Sinners on the Oscars stage adds a timely resonance to the exhibition. Ballet explores the discipline, vulnerability, and transcendence of dance. Featuring select, never-before-seen images of Misty Copeland from her final performance with American Ballet Theatre, the exhibition offers intimate, behind-the-scenes perspectives. Henry Leutwyler’s decades-long documentation captures Copeland’s strength and vulnerability in her last bow. Diana Markosian’s Fantômes series interprets Cuba’s Giselle through haunting, ephemeral imagery, while Kylie Shea’s black-and-white self-portraits reflect a personal exploration of identity and artistic evolution. Leica’s precision and unobtrusive design allow these photographers to capture movement as both subject and language, transforming fleeting moments into enduring works.
An opening reception is scheduled for February 19, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 PM, followed by a gallery talk on February 21 with Leutwyler, Markosian, Shea, and Copeland.
LOS ANGELES | Broad Strokes 4
Artists: Mandy Walker, Ruby Bell, Katarina Benzova, Eva Woolridge
On View: March 5 – April 13, 2026
Location: Leica Gallery Los Angeles, 8783 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood
Broad Strokes 4 celebrates contrast and creative independence, combining cinematic storytelling, conceptual portraiture, and music photography. Established photographers like Mandy Walker engage in dialogue with emerging voices like Ruby Bell, reflecting the intergenerational ways women shape today’s visual culture.
Boston
BOSTON | Where Do I Go? لوين روح
Artist:Rania Matar
On View: March 27 – May 31, 2026
Location: Leica Gallery Boston, 74 Arlington Street
Through intimate portraits of women and girls in Lebanon, Rania Matar explores belonging, resilience, and self-determination amid personal and political uncertainty. Her work captures a generation defining its own sense of place and future, making the deeply specific profoundly universal.
A Half-Century of Leica Galleries
Since 1976, Leica Galleries have grown into cultural hubs in 26 cities worldwide, from New York and Los Angeles to Tokyo and Vienna. They have showcased works by legendary photographers including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Inge Morath, and Elliott Erwitt, alongside prominent contemporary artists. The galleries foster cultural dialogue, highlight social and political themes, and continue to expand the conversation around photography in the digital age, including emerging discussions around AI and visual media.
This International Women’s Month, these exhibitions exemplify Leica’s ongoing mission: to provide space for visual narratives that engage, challenge, and inspire. As the Leica Galleries celebrate 50 years of photographic culture, they remain not just venues for images, but catalysts for dialogue, creativity, and enduring artistic legacy.
Hi-res images for the exhibitions are available. For interviews with participating photographers or to connect with a Leica representative about the company’s broader cultural commitment, inquiries can be directed to Nike Communications Inc. at leica@nikecomm.com.
