America At The Crossroads
The GUITAR & A Changing Nation
Touring Exhibits • Art • History • Pop Culture
GUITAR
The National GUITAR Museum presents touring exhibitions that showcase the history, art, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar.
The Guitar Exhibitions
Exhibitions that feature centuries of cultural and artistic importance.
Our touring exhibitions showcase the history and art of the guitar, with each exhibition focusing on a unique aspect of the guitar's role in art, history, and popular culture. Each exhibition has been curated by The National GUITAR Museum and includes artifacts from its permanent collection.
Medieval To Metal
The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR
Shape Shifting
The GUITAR As Modern ARTifact
America At The Crossroads
The GUITAR & A Changing Nation
“America At The Crossroads: The GUITAR And A Changing Nation” looks at America’s evolution through the lens of its most popular instrument—an instrument that has been part of our cultural heritage since the country’s founding.
The guitar has been a symbol for everything from generational differences and racial divide to politics, consumer marketing, and fashionable relevance. Visitors experience the history and cultural impact of the guitar through 40 instruments representing significant moments in America’s evolution, from the earliest Spanish invasion to the nation’s modern status as a global superpower.
The artifacts are supplemented with video, photographs, and illustrations that depict important events, artists, and instruments of the last century.
MarketHistory Museums, American Cultural Centers, Civic And Library Centers.
Specifications40 Instruments, 10 Video Displays, Wall Banners/Posters.
Crossroads Previous Hosts
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum & Library / Grand Rapids, MI
Museum Of Science & History / Memphis, TN
Carlsbad Museum / Carlsbad, NM
Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience / Meridian, MS
The California Museum / Sacramento, CA
Delta Cultural Center / Helena, AR
Bishop Museum / Bradenton, FL
Museum Of The Mississippi Delta / Greenwood, MS
Tampa Bay History Center / Tampa, FL
Turtle Bay Exploration Park / Redding, CA
Palm Beach Historical Society / Palm Beach, FL
Available for Fall 2027 and Spring 2028
Medieval To Metal
The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR
This outstanding touring art exhibition invites visitors to explore the art and design of the world’s most popular instrument.
“Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR” features 40 objects, 20 photographs of acclaimed musicians and their guitars, and photorealistic illustrations of historically important designs. These range from the medieval lute and baroque theorbo on up to modern designs that incorporate gold leaf, acrylic, and carbon fiber.
The exhibition is completely self-contained with display walls, text panels, internal lighting, and an onsite tech for install.
MarketArt Museums, Art Galleries, History Museums, Library and Cultural Centers.
Specifications40 Instruments, Photorealistic Illustrations, 20 Artist Photographs, Album Covers, Wall Banners/Posters.
M2M Schedule
AvailableSummer & Fall 2026 / 2027
Previous M2M Venues
Juliet Art Museum
Midland Galleries
Lauren Rogers Museum Of Art
Reading Public Museum
Museum Of Art & Science Daytona
Carlsbad Museum
Museum at TTU
Czech Museum
Currier Art Museum
Stamford Museum
Fort Wayne Museum Of Art
Appleton Museum
Vero Beach Museum Of Art
Saginaw Art Museum
Butler Institute Of Art
The Haggin Museum
Sonoma Country Museum
The Powerhouse Museum
New Mexico Museum Of Art
Woodson Museum Of Art
Loveland Museum
Whirinaki Museum New Zealand
Art Gallery Of Ballarat Australia
William King Museum Of Art
Shape Shifting
The GUITAR As Modern ARTifact
The unveiling of the electric guitar in the 1950s immediately changed world culture. It transformed music and changed the ways in which we visualize how music is made and performed.
“SHAPE SHIFTING: The GUITAR As Modern Artifact” presents 40 instruments that embody the art of the guitar and display it as both an instrument and a physical canvas for artists and builders.
This touring exhibition is available for a limited time.
MarketModern Art Museums, Art Galleries, Cultural Centers.
Specifications40 Instruments, Wall Banners, Original Design Illustrations, Interpretive Album Covers.
Shape Shifting Previous Hosts
Museum of Texas Tech / Lubbock, TX
Kalamazoo Museum / Kalamazoo, MI
Available Summer & Fall 2026 / 2027
About Us
The world’s first museum dedicated exclusively to the guitar.
The National GUITAR Museum is dedicated exclusively to the art, history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. The NGM presents its touring exhibitions to preserve, present, and promote the guitar.
The NGM has assembled a world-class team of guitarists, designers, and production staff to develop unique experiences related to the guitar and its artists.
As of 2026, our exhibitions have been booked into more than 65 art museums, history museums, cultural venues, and science centers around the world.
The museum is overseen by its executive director, HP Newquist, and is supported by curators, designers, museum professionals, and a Board Of Advisors that includes guitarists Tony Iommi, Steve Vai, Steve Howe, Liona Boyd, Ritchie Blackmore, and Al di Meola.
Our debut exhibition, “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World,” closed out its twelve-year run after 30 installations. It was one of the most successful touring exhibitions ever produced, with millions of visitors over the past decade.
Our three current exhibitions — “America At The Crossroads: The GUITAR And A Changing Nation,” “SHAPE SHIFTING: The GUITAR As Modern Artifact,” and “Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR” — are touring nationally, presenting history, art, and pop culture through the lens of the guitar.
65+Museums and cultural venues booked worldwide.
3Current touring exhibitions.
1stMuseum dedicated exclusively to the guitar.
Exhibition Venues To Date
GUITAR exhibitions have been hosted by museums around the world.
The venue list remains on the page, but is easier to scan as a visual field rather than a dense paragraph.
Denver Museum Of Nature & Science • Bullock State Museum • The Durham Omaha • Peoria Riverfront Museum • McWane Science Center • The Castle History Museum • St. Louis Science Center • Cincinnati Museum Center • Museum Of The Rockies • Fort Worth Museum Of Science & History • Kalamazoo Museum • Berkshire Museum • Buffalo Museum Of Science • Gulf Coast Exploreum • Whitaker Center • Exploration Place • OMSI • Discovery Place • Imagination Station • Liberty Science Center • Bishop Museum • Fleet Science Center • Museum Of Idaho • Springfield Museums • Science Museum Of Virginia • Carnegie Science Center • Louisville Science Center • Orlando Science Center • Discovery Museum Connecticut • Lauren Rogers Museum Of Art • Reading Public Museum • Museum Of Art & Science Daytona • Carlsbad Museum • Museum at TTU • Czech Museum • Currier Art Museum • Stamford Museum • Fort Wayne Museum Of Art • Appleton Museum • Vero Beach Museum Of Art • Saginaw Art Museum • Butler Institute Of Art • The Haggin Museum • Sonoma Country Museum • The Powerhouse Museum • New Mexico Museum Of Art • Woodson Art Museum.
More Information
More information and museum contact details
More information about the museum and its exhibitions
Contact us: info@nationalguitarmuseum.com