December 11, 2003Music Exhibit KiosksBob Dylan Retrospective Debuts at EMP November 2004 Experience Music Project: Bob Dylan Retrospective Debuts at EMP November 2004; First-Ever Exhibit to Explore the Beginnings of a Pop Music Legend SEATTLE, Dec 11, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- November 2004, Experience Music Project (EMP) will debut, Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966, an extensive, first-ever exhibit dedicated to exploring a critical and transformational ten-year period in this American music legend's career. Few performers have reached the status of Bob Dylan -- a multi-generational force, his name evokes images and memories of the folk revival, social protest, and the development of rock music as an art form. Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966, curated by EMP's Ann Powers, captures a singular artist as he made history in the throes of social change taking place around the country. The exhibit will include extensive material from the Bob Dylan Archives, EMP's own collection, as well artifacts from private collectors from around the world. The exhibit kicks off a period of renewed examination of this crucial period in Dylan's career that will culminate with a broadcast documentary on Dylan to be directed by Martin Scorsese, and will air in early 2005. "This is the first time a nationally recognized cultural institution has taken on the telling of Bob Dylan's story," said Matt Ellis of the Dylan Archives. "We are very pleased that Experience Music Project, one of the most innovative music museums in the world, has taken on this important project." "It's an honor for Experience Music Project to create a major exhibition that's focused on one of the most significant artists of the 20th century and to have the opportunity to work closely with the Dylan Archives to develop it," said Robert Santelli, EMP's Director of Museum Programs. "It's practically impossible to think of popular or roots music in the past forty years without the name Bob Dylan prominently coming to mind. Dylan's sweeping influence on both American music and culture makes him the ideal artist to explore in a major music exhibition." Dylan's lyrics and music encompasses a wide palette of influences ranging from Delta and Chicago Blues; Beat poetry; the Bible; Shakespeare; Southern work songs and Scots ballads. His work serves as a key link in the chain connecting these sources to the many contemporary singer-songwriters for whom Dylan is a main influence. Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966 follows him from the industrial town of Hibbing, Minnesota, where he was born Robert Zimmerman, through his debut in the Greenwich Village folk revival, into his massive fame as the man who "electrified" contemporary songwriting, and ends with the making of three of rock's greatest works: Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde. The exhibit will showcase handwritten letters and lyrics and musical instruments as well as capture Dylan's interest in Americana -- playing off classic imagery that he has mined in his music: the railroad, the highway, and the carnival. Rock and folk's greatest visual chroniclers, including D.A. Pennebaker, Daniel Kramer, and John Cohen, will be prominently featured throughout the show. Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966 will also feature an audio tour and interactive kiosks, as well as extensive education materials available to teachers and scholars across the country. For ticket and EMP information, visit emplive.com, or phone 206-770-2700. About Experience Music Project Dedicated to exploring creativity and innovation in American popular music, Experience Music Project is a 21st Century museum that strives to capture and reflect the essence of rock 'n' roll, its roots in jazz, soul, gospel, country and the blues, as well as rock music's influence on hip-hop, punk and other recent genres. Patrons can make their own music, see and learn about rare artifacts and memorabilia from EMP's collection of more than 80,000 items, explore various musical milestones within unique interpretive exhibits, feel the power of the creative force by listening to musicians tell their own stories, and discover the power and joy of music in all its forms. Founded by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen, under the direction of co-founder Jody Patton and designed by architect Frank O. Gehry, the 140,000-square-foot, multi-colored and "swoopy" museum rises up in the heart of Seattle at Seattle Center and provides visitors a musical experience unparalleled anywhere in the world. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EMP is online at www.emplive.com. SOURCE: Experience Music Project Experience Music Project, Seattle |