Developed by The National GUITAR Museum in New York City, Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The Guitar is a unique exhibition on view at the Reading Public Museum from September 18, 2021 through January 9, 2022.
Spanning centuries of design and craftmanship, Medieval to Metal celebrates the artistic developments of the guitar and features 40 objects, including an intricately inlaid Moorish oud, six-foot long Renaissance theorbo, modern Italian Eko, transparent California BC Rich guitar and much more.
“This exhibition was a perfect fit for a museum like ours that focuses on history, arts, culture, and science, as it intertwines these topics through an easily accessible object like the guitar” said John Graydon Smith, The Museum’s Director and CEO.
“Add in the fact that Berks County is widely known for its celebration and love of music in many forms, and we expect the public to be attracted from far and wide to enjoy this amazing collection.”
Visitors will also view life-size photorealistic illustrations of historically important guitar designs from noted artist Gerard Huerta, and 20 photographs of acclaimed musicians and their guitars from Neil Zlozower, one of the world’s premier concert photographers.
The exhibit opening will be celebrated with The Museum’s Annual Fundraiser — Night at The Museum — the evening of September 18.
Additional Fall exhibitions at the Reading Public Museum include The Art of the Guitar, September 18, 2021 through January 9, 2022.
The Art of the Guitar is an engaging exhibition featuring historic works from the archives of the C. F. Martin & Company in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, established in 1833.
With early labels, instrument templates, and designs for guitars by New Jersey artist Robert Goetzl, visitors will get to experience and explore Goetzl’s guitars commemorating Save the Planet, Lakota Sioux Native Americans, Rock the Vote (featuring David Crosby), Martin Legacy Guitar, The H.M.S. Dreadnought Battleship guitar, and more. In addition, preliminary studies and designs for Goetzl’s large mural at the Martin Factory Visitor Center, which features the history of six generations of Martin family members, will also be on view.
The Art of the Guitar is supported by the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund of the Berks County Community Foundation.
The third exhibition at the museum includes Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science opening September 25, 2021 through April 24, 2022.
Roots of Wisdom features multiple, interactive displays created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) for the purpose of educating visitors on environmental practices that foster sustainability within Indigenous communities.
Sponsored locally by the Friends of the Reading Public Museum and Bruce and Reneé Dietrich Endowment Funds, Roots of Wisdom invites guests to understand the important issues that indigenous cultures face and discover innovative ways native peoples are problem-solving and contributing to the growing movement towards sustainability and the reclamation of age-old practices.
Within the exhibit, visitors will view stories from four indigenous communities that are brought to life in real-world examples of how traditional knowledge and cutting-edge Western science can be blended together to provide complementary solutions to contemporary, environmental concerns.
The exhibit was made possible with funds provided by the National Science Foundation. Exhibition sponsored locally by the Friends of the Reading Public Museum and Bruce and Reneé Dietrich Endowment Funds.
