"Medieval to Metal: The Art & Evolution of the Guitar" 

is an art exhibition that comprises objects, illustrations, and photographs, bringing the design history of the guitar to museum and gallery visitors. The touring exhibition is curated in partnership with art museums and galleries, and each installation is tailored to the layout, theme, and mission of the art venue.




Medieval To Metal


This exhibition explores all facets of the world's most popular instrument, from its history as an instrument of popular culture over the past four hundred years to modern efforts to reinvent the guitar with different materials, shapes, and approaches to design. Design illustrations, objects, and photographs provide a rich context for exploring the artistic components of the guitar.  Visitors will experience the art, history, and cultural impact of the guitar in an exhibition that contains 40 instruments ranging from the rare and antique to the wildly popular and innovative. The artifacts are supplemented with dozens of photographs and illustrations that depict significant artists and instruments of the last century.

"Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR" is an exciting and engaging experience that gives visitors the chance to interact with the guitar not only from the perspective of its history. As the guitar's ancestors evolved over centuries from the earliest ouds and lutes, guitar makers experimented with shapes, materials, and accessories, seeking the perfect blend of beauty and sound. Musicians and luthiers continue to alter guitar design in their endless quest for a fresh aesthetic and sound that fuels creative synergy, musical innovation, and cultural change. Just as American guitar designers of the 1960s departed radically from the iconic hourglass shape, street-corner guitarists led the protest movement that challenged the status quo.

In addition to the objects, the exhibition features

The Permanence Of Design

Hand-drawn illustrations were created for the exhibition by renowned designer Gerard Huerta. The illustrations show how guitars designed in the 1950s have not changed while other contemporary devices, from automobiles to telephones, are nearly unrecognizable relative to their 1950s counterparts. (8 life-sized prints)

The Players & Their Instruments

Mounted photos of famous players of the past 100 years and the guitars most closely associated with them provide a link to the people who have helped establish the guitar's legacy. The photos were taken by noted concert photographer Neil Zlozower. (20 framed 11 x 14 prints).

If your art museum or venue is interested in scheduling this exciting new exhibition, contact us at 917-208-4333, or email us at director {at} nationalguitarmuseum.com

We look forward to hearing from you!



“The GUITAR Exhibit rocked for us! We were able to attract a very broad audience beyond what we would typically see in our museum, and we received an enormous amount of media attention. For months after the exhibit left, people were still telling me how much they enjoyed it. A big success!” – Ann Metzger, Director. Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Museum of Natural History

“We look for exhibits that take popular topics and add the science to them because people learn more while they’re having fun. “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World” has been a great fit for that reason.” – JoAnn Newman, President. Orlando Science Center

“GUITAR drew a wide audience from teens, young adults to grandparents. The exhibition is diverse and expansive, and is one of those rare exhibitions that offers something for everyone. All of our guests found something engaging and relevant to their lives.” – Terri Rose, Science Museum of Virginia

“We’ve had terrific reaction from a wide variety of audiences, from the traditional museum member families to adults who appear to have a specific musical interest. The exhibit is also drawing the interest of dads, with children of a wide variety of ages. In the first month, the number of visitors on Saturdays increased by 92% and the number of Sunday visitors increased by 61%.” – Jo Haas, CEO. Kentucky Science Center

“This is one of the only exhibits where I can say that every element–from installation to the entire visitor experience–was 100 percent positive. We had numerous repeat visitors, along with people who had never come to the museum before. GUITAR had universal appeal and unparalleled patron satisfaction.” – Rod Hansen, Director of Exhibits. The Museum Of Idaho


Nope
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Not baseball, not football, not hamburgers, not soda, not sports cars . . . the guitar. Yet there is no museum in the world dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. There is a barbecue museum, there is a barbwire museum, there is a ventriloquist dummy museum, and even a teacup museum . . . but there is no single museum dedicated to the world’s most popular instrument.





Comments and Praise










Until now.The guitar is about more than just popular music. The guitar is an integral part of American history. The first guitars were brought here by the Spanish in the late 1500s, and the English brought their own versions on the boats that followed the Mayflower. It has been part of our heritage for longer than almost any other cultural icon. Every year, there are over 3 new million guitars sold in United States alone. That”s more than all other instruments combined.The National GUITAR Museum was founded to promote and preserve the legacy of the guitar. It is the world”s first museum dedicated to the history, science, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar.The NGM launched a Touring Exhibition entitled “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” that began with previews outside NYC in February 2011. The national rollout was in Orlando on June 11, 2011. The exhibit is now booked at sites across the country for the next several years. At the completion of the tour, one U.S. city will be chosen to become the permanent home of The National GUITAR Museum.