Part of the 'Pilgrimage' collection: Folk singer Pete Seeger's cluttered workshop.

After the presentation at the Corcoran, my friend and I went to the American Art Museum to see Annie Leibovitz’s ‘Pilgrimage’ exhibit (on display January 20 – May 20, 2012). Unlike Annie’s staged portraits made on assignment for magazines and clients, the photographs in this exhibition were taken because she was personally moved by the subjects. This visit was unlike any other I ever had at a museum. When you go to a museum you usually look at old works of art by artists long gone that you learned about through studies, or artwork by living artists whose works are new to you and you may have no background knowledge. Viewing the photographs in this exhibit and reflecting on them after meeting Annie and hearing her personal insight on why and how she photographed certain subjects — their significance to her, added a cool new dimension to the experience.