Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame Announces Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon and Legends of Folk, Americana, Roots Exhibits
Both Exhibits Open September 13, 2023
(Boston) Today, the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF), Boston’s living music museum inside the Boch Center Wang Theatre, announced the Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon, and Legends of Folk, Americana, Roots exhibits. Portraits of an American Music Icon will feature an intimate look at “The Boss” through the lens of close friends, photographers, and family members. Legends of Folk, Americana, Roots includes a treasure trove of culturally important artifacts from some of the greatest folk musicians in history including Woodie Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, and more. Both exhibits will go on display on September 13, 2023, inside the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Guests interested in exploring FARHOF can sign-up for a tour at www.FARHOF.org.
Curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon will include over 40 photographs from six notable Springsteen photographers: Danny Clinch, Ed Gallucci, Eric Meola, Ron Pownall, Barry Schneier, Pamela Springsteen, and Frank Stefanko.
From the streets and shores of New Jersey to the sunbaked landscapes of California, this career-spanning photo exhibit showcases intimate photographs of one of America’s most important musical voices. Through photos and interviews, this exhibit gives a unique perspective of Bruce Springsteen away from the sold-out arenas and in front of the lens.
“Bob Santelli and his team at the Springsteen Archives have done an incredible job selecting these images that paint a unique picture of Bruce as a man, not just a rock-n-roll legend,” said Joe Spaulding, President and CEO of the Boch Center. “This exhibit is unlike any other, and even die-hard fans will come away with something new that they didn’t know about ‘The Boss’.”
The legends of Folk, Americana, and roots music have paved the way for generations of musicians and activists who use their voices to speak their truth, address social justice issues, and act as modern-day troubadours reporting on the human condition. FARHOF’s new Legends exhibit honors the history of the musical icons whose ripples of influence have impacted music and society through their work. The exhibit includes instruments and items of historical significance from Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Josh White, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, George Wein, and many more.
The Folk America Roots Hall of Fame is a performance and education initiative of the Boch Center. These genres of music have historically provided an outlet for individuals of all races, classes, and locations to express their joys and sorrows. Through exhibits, lectures, concerts, and more, Boston’s new cultural destination continues to advance this mission for people of all ages. Recent and current exhibits include Arlo Guthrie: Native Son, Life in Six Strings, Don't Think Twice: The Daniel Kramer Photographs of Bob Dylan, 1964-65, Boston: A Music Town, The Wang Theatre: A Century of Great Music; historic artifacts from David Bieber Archives and the Cultural Heroes sculptures on loan from Alan LeQuire Galleries in Nashville.
The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame is located inside the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre at 270 Tremont St. Boston, Massachusetts and is open for tours. Tour tickets are $25 for adults and $17 for children. Guests can find the most up-to-date schedule and book tours at www.bochcenter.org/tours. For updates and to join the mailing list for news, announcements, and more visit www.FARHOF.org.
Be sure to follow FARHOF on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame:
In 2019, the Boch Center expanded its educational programming and launched the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF), Boston’s living music museum which celebrates the lifeblood of America’s musical and cultural heritage. Folk music provides an outlet for individuals of all races and backgrounds to express their highest joys and deepest sorrows.
FARHOF is dedicated to honoring history, while also nurturing the next generation of Folk, Americana, and Roots musicians. By learning from the past, the Boch Center and FARHOF hope to influence meaningful conversations today.
Housed in the Wang Theatre, FARHOF celebrates Folk, Americana, and Roots music through displays, memorabilia, artifacts, events, lectures, exhibits, and concerts.
About the Boch Center:
The Boch Center is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts institutions and a guardian of the historic Wang and Shubert Theatres. As New England’s largest cultural venue, the Boch Center is home to theater, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, opera, Broadway musicals, family entertainment, and more.
Located in Boston’s historic Theater District, the Boch Center also offers a diverse mix of educational, cultural, and community outreach initiatives, including the City Spotlights Leadership Program and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame; collaborates with artists and local nonprofit arts organizations; preserves historic venues; and acts as a champion for Greater Boston’s arts and cultural community. Learn more at bochcenter.org.
About the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music:
The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University serves as the official archival repository for Bruce Springsteen’s written works, photographs, periodicals, and artifacts. The Center preserves and promotes the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and his role in American music, while honoring and celebrating icons of American music like Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Gaslight Anthem, and others. The Archives comprise nearly 35,000 items from 47 countries, ranging from articles and concert memorabilia to artifacts and oral histories. The collection serves the research and informational needs of music fans, scholars, authors, and others with a serious interest in the life and career of Bruce Springsteen.
About the Museum Collective:
The Museum Collective is a consortium of music museum professionals that creates special exhibitions and programs for museums and cultural institutions around the country and Europe. The partners in the Collective have collaborated on a variety of exhibits over the past decade, including a recent exhibit Woody Guthrie: People Are the Song debuting in 2022 at the Morgan Library in New York City. As partners in the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, the Museum Collective has curated and installed multiple exhibits within the historic Wang Theatre, featuring a variety of artists.
About Meet Boston:
Meet Boston is the primary private sector marketing and visitor services organization charged with the development of meetings, conventions and tourism-related business. Their goal is to enhance the economy of Boston, Cambridge and the metropolitan area.
Meet Boston is a not-for-profit, membership-driven sales and marketing organization comprised of over 900 companies in Boston, Cambridge and across New England that depend upon the visitor and convention industries for their own success and growth.
