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Currier Museum of Art Opens Backstage Pass. Rock & Roll Photography

The Currier Museum of Art Presents Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography this Fall Limited Opportunity to See Photos Rarely Displayed in Public

Rock & Roll will play center stage at The Currier Museum of Art when Backstage Pass: Rock & Roll Photography opens on October 7. Drawn from the largest private collection of photographs of rock musicians in the United States,the exhibition was organized by the Portland Museum of Art, Maine. More than 150 Rock & Roll photos—many rarely seen by the public—will be on display through January 15, 2012.


Alfred Wertheimer (United States, 1929), Elvis Presley, “The Kiss”, 1956, gelatin silver print, Private Collection. Photograph © Alfred Wertheimer. All rights reserved.

This exhibition provides a portal into the musical and cultural history of Rock & Roll, from its development in the 1950s to its influence on the sounds and styles of future generations. Studio portraits and candid outtakes of famous Rock & Roll stars range from Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles to Madonna, Courtney Love and Bob Marley.

The relationship between Rock & Roll and photography is intimate and profound. Rock musicians’ careers are predicated on a cult of personality—the ability to strike a pose and live the life—just as much as their command of an instrument. Photographers have flocked to rock musicians for the fleeting opportunity to capture celebrity both on and off stage. Backstage Pass features images taken of famous musicians including The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, The Who, Patti Smith, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Grace Jones, U2, Moby, and Kurt Cobain, among many others. These classic images were captured by more than 50 photographers including Lee Friedlander, Kate Simon, Laura Levine, Baron Wolman, Bob Gruen, Jim Marshall and Lynn Goldsmith.

The presentation of this special exhibition at the Currier is funded by TD Charitable Foundation with additional support from RiverStone Resources, LLC , E & R Laundry and Dry Cleaners and the Botnick Family Foundation, with media sponsorship from Rock 101 and the Morning Buzz.

Artists in the exhibition from A to Z include: Tori Amos, The B-52s, Chet Baker, The Band, The Bangles, The Beatles, Beastie Boys, Chuck Berry, Bjork, Blind Faith, David Bowie, Boy George, James Brown, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, The Clash, Kurt Cobain, Cream, Miles Davis, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Debbie Harry, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Grace Jones, Janis Joplin, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Courtney Love, Lynard Skynyrd, Madonna, Bob Marley, Sinead O’Connor, Iggy Pop, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Prince, The Ramones, R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, The Sex Pistols, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Pete Townsend, Ike and Tina Turner, U2, The Who, Neil Young

About the Currier:
The Currier Museum of Art is located at 150 Ash Street, Manchester, NH. Museum hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 11-5; Saturday, 10-5. Closed Tuesday. Open 11-8 the first Thursday of each month. Museum admission: adults $10; seniors $9; students $8; children under 18 free. Free to all on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Currier welcomes visitors with disabilities and special needs, therefore the museum is wheelchair accessible and offers FM headsets for sound amplification for all public programs. To get more information, visit www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x108

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