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National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) opens Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power

National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) presents Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power an exhibition on view September 7, 2012–January 6, 2013, highlighting the flashpoints, the firsts, the celebrated, and the lesser-known women who have influenced the genre from its inception through today.

Moving through the rock and roll eras beginning in the 1920s, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power highlights 70 artists and includes more than 250 artifacts, including photos, performance videos, and album covers, as well as personal memorabilia, such as costumes, instruments, and set lists.

Women Who Rock illustrates the essential roles women have played in moving rock and roll and American culture forward. The exhibition showcases rock-and-roll foremothers such as Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday; pioneers including Wanda Jackson and LaVern Baker; and stars from ’60s girl groups, ’70s disco, and ’80s punk. Contemporary artists include Lady Gaga and Janelle Monáe.

Susan Fisher Sterling, NMWA’s Alice West Director, said, “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power is the ideal exhibition to mark our first 25 years. It demonstrates our commitment to the performing arts and celebrates the many women who have made rock and roll the popular art form it is today. Museum goers will have a deeper appreciation of women as innovators in rock and roll. They will learn how these artists harnessed its and their own power to help change our society.”

Visitors of all ages have a chance to see iconic items—handwritten lyrics by Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Janet Jackson and Madonna, alongside clothes worn by Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Cher, Melissa Etheridge, and Rihanna, among many others—demonstrating women’s musical creativity and power to inspire through rock and roll.

In addition to being the writers and voices of beloved songs, many women have made their marks by playing instruments in their bands. Women Who Rock features guitars played by Wanda Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, and Taylor Swift; a drum played by Meg White; and Lady Gaga’s childhood piano.

Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power is organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, Ohio. Presentation of the exhibition at NMWA is made possible through the generous support of an anonymous donor, the Carstens Family Funds, and Cigna. Additional funding has been provided by the Recording Industry Association of America with media support from the Washington Post.

National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA)
Founded in 1981 and opened in 1987, NMWA is the only museum solely dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the visual, performing and literary arts.

National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
202-783-5000
1-800-222-7270
www.nmwa.org

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