{"id":838552,"date":"2026-03-28T06:44:49","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T06:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/838552\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T06:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T06:44:49","slug":"legendary-nfl-photographer-brings-exhibition-to-pittsburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/838552\/","title":{"rendered":"Legendary NFL Photographer Brings Exhibition to Pittsburgh"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026 NFL Draft<\/a>\u2022NFL<\/a>\u2022Steelers News<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Lynn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

With the 2026 NFL Draft coming to the Steel City this April, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PCT) is presenting a photography exhibition by legendary photographer Michael Zagaris, 60 Years of NFL Photography<\/a>. The presentation will run from\u00a0March 27 \u2013 November 8, 2026. <\/p>\n

The PCT is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of an arts and entertainment\/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh. The presentation will be hosted at PCT 707 Gallery\u00a0(open and free to the public)\u00a0and offer a glimpse into the world of professional football.<\/p>\n

Zagaris is one of the most decorated photographers in the world. He has photographed 42 Super Bowls, 12 World Series, and 14 MLB All-Star Games, earning three Super Bowl rings and one World Series ring. Zagaris has been the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 team photographer for over 50 years, a role he continues to hold today.\u00a0His work was recently featured in the Rise of the 49ers<\/a>, a four-part 2026 documentary series on AMC and AMC+ chronicling the 49ers\u2019 1980s dynasty. A number of photos from the documentary will be featured in the exhibit.<\/p>\n

Zagaris is also a renowned music photographer, documenting music legends such as Eric Clapton, The Who, and the Grateful Dead. His work has appeared in major publications including Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine.<\/p>\n

While Zagaris is mostly known for his work with the 49ers, there will be plenty of Pittsburgh Steelers photos at his exhibit in Pittsburgh. A notable photo of Steelers legend Lynn Swann catching a touchdown pass<\/a> in the Pittsburgh\u2019s 1974 AFC Championship win against the Oakland Raiders will be on display.<\/p>\n

Zagaris\u2019 exhibition will be curated by Anastasia James, who is the Director of Galleries and Public Art at the Cultural trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael is actually a really old friend of mine,\u201d James said when asked how the gallery was brought to Pittsburgh. \u201cSomeone\u2019s work I\u2019ve admired for a very long time. I think it was in 2023, my husband actually edited a book of his rock and roll photography, and that\u2019s when I was first introduced to him and his work. Since then, he\u2019s become an amazing friend. I feel so lucky to know him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started thinking about an exhibition that could speak to all of Pittsburgh sports fans from across teams, generations and neighborhoods, his work immediately came to mind, even though I never worked with him in sports photography before. <\/p>\n

\u201cI started talking with Michael, who of course had decades of documenting some of the most iconic moments in professional sports history, both in the NFL and in professional baseball. When I really started looking at his archive, I was really struck by the intimacy of his photographs. Someone who was really there. So I reached out to him, started to explore what it might look like to bring the focus of his presentation to Pittsburgh. From there we began shaping what this exhibition would look like. Choosing to highlight photographs from his entire career working within the NFL, but also having a Pittsburgh-centered exhibition so it would resonate locally while also reflecting the longer and larger narrative of his archive.\u201d<\/p>\n

James said the timing of the exhibition felt powerful, not only because of the draft. But because of the photos from the Steelers\u2019 legendary 1970s dynasty. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an era not only important in the franchise history, but it really shaped the cultural identity of Pittsburgh in so many ways,\u201d James said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think this exhibition arrives at the exactly right moment for Pittsburgh. There is a little bit for everyone here in the exhibition. And for younger audiences, it offers context and insight into why that era carries so much meaning here.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"SuperTerry Bradshaw, football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is shown, Jan. 20, 1980 in Pasadena, Calif., during the Super Bowl. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place April 23\u201325, 2026, welcoming 500,000 to 700,000 fans to Pittsburgh. VisitPittsburgh expects the draft to be the biggest event in the city of Pittsburgh\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

James is excited for Pittsburgh to be on the world stage with the draft coming. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a real opportunity to showcase who we are as a city,\u201d James said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to see people downtown engaging with arts and culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe draft is going to bring enormous energy to the city of Pittsburgh. This exhibition offers something unique to our city. It\u2019s visually compelling, it\u2019s a narrative of this city\u2019s football legacy. And it reinforces something that\u2019s very important to me that art can, and should be, accessible. This is an exhibition where people who might not normally feel welcomed in a gallery setting feel completely welcomed. That\u2019s something that I\u2019m really looking forward to. The new audiences that we\u2019ll bring to our gallery.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PittsburghClock counting down to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh on May 12, 2025. \u2014 Ed Thompson \/ Steelers Now<\/p>\n

The Trust also recently announced<\/a> a partnership with Pitt Athletics for a soon-to-open new four-acre civic space in the Cultural District, Arts Landing for the draft. The event will offer an immersive football experience that celebrates Pitt\u2019s longstanding football legacy.<\/p>\n

Programming will include: An experiential Pitt Football museum and interactive draft showcase highlighting Panther greats and the program\u2019s NFL pipeline, live music and entertainment, food trucks, beverages and local vendors, activity zone and more. <\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this special exhibition and our soft opening of Arts Landing for the Pitt Block Party, we\u2019re proud to play a part in showcasing the essential role of arts and culture in Pittsburgh during this momentous weekend,\u201dsaid Derek Scalzott, the Senior Director of Strategic Communications and Special Advisor to the President at the PCT. <\/p>\n

James is looking forward to showcasing Zagaris\u2019 one-of-a-kind exhibition.<\/p>\n

\u201ci was super excited about this. It came together quite naturally,\u201d she said. \u201cI spent quite a bit of time out in San Francisco going through all of his archives from the past 50 years and selecting the images. I\u2019m just really excited to share those with the city of Pittsburgh and everyone who comes to see the exhibition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one thing that I also really appreciate about this exhibition and Michael\u2019s work more broadly, but specifically about this exhibition, is that it tends to reframe sports photography both as cultural documentation but also as fine art. Michael wasn\u2019t just photographing games, he was capturing the atmosphere and the personality that surrounds professional football.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite photos in the exhibition is of Joe Montana Sr. with his son after Super Bowl 24, where they\u2019re sitting in the locker room and you can see the younger Joe Montana eating a hamburger. To me, that image really captures the access and humanity that Michael was able to document over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> City of Pittsburgh<\/a> Pittsburgh Cultural Trust<\/a> Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> Steelers<\/a> Steelers News<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft\u2022NFL\u2022Steelers News With the 2026 NFL Draft coming to the Steel City this April, the Pittsburgh…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":838553,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2055],"tags":[4955,20516,7,6,520,83846,57,2360,426,2395],"class_list":{"0":"post-838552","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-steelers","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-city-of-pittsburgh","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-pittsburgh","13":"tag-pittsburgh-cultural-trust","14":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","15":"tag-pittsburghsteelers","16":"tag-steelers","17":"tag-steelers-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116305457535519572","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838552\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/838553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=838552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}