National Guitar Museum

The National Guitar Museum (NGM) was founded to promote and preserve the legacy of the guitar, and is dedicated to its history, evolution, and cultural impact. The NGM addresses the history of the guitar as it has evolved from ancient stringed instruments to the wide variety of instruments created over the past 200 years. It focuses on the guitar's inventors, innovators, and influential players, along with the science and technology behind the guitar's construction, shape, and sound.

"GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World" exhibit.

History[]

The museum was founded by HP Newquist, who serves as executive director. The NGM's board of advisors includes guitarists Tony Iommi, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, Ritchie Blackmore, Liona Boyd, Al Di Meola, and Joe Bonamassa. Johnny Winter served on the board prior to his death. Curators include guitar industry veterans Rich Maloof and Pete Prown.^[1]^[2]

Touring exhibition[]

In February 2011, the NGM launched a touring exhibit entitled "GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World" that began with previews outside New York City.^[3] The national rollout was in Orlando, Florida, on June 11, 2011. The exhibit traveled to sites across the United States from 2011 to 2022.^[4]^[5]^[6] At the completion of the tour, one U.S. city is expected to be chosen to be the permanent home of the National Guitar Museum.^[7]

The hosts for the GUITAR Exhibit (past and future):

Connecticut Discovery Museum: February 15 – May 15, 2011 (Previews)
Orlando Science Center / Orlando, FL: June 11, 2011 – January 4, 2012 (National Launch)^[8]
Louisville Science Center / Louisville, KY: January 21 – April 22, 2012
Carnegie Science Center / Pittsburgh, PA: June 16 – September 30, 2012^[9]^[10]
Science Museum of Virginia / Richmond, VA: October 13 – January 6, 2013
The Springfield Museum / Springfield, MA: January 18 – April 21, 2013
The Museum Of Idaho / Idaho Falls, ID – Yellowstone: June 10 – November 30, 2013
The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center / San Diego, CA: December 20, 2013 – April 6, 2014
The Bishop Museum / Honolulu, Hawai’i: May 2014 – September 1, 2014
Liberty Science Center / Liberty State Park, NJ: October 2014 – January 2015
Imagination Station / Toledo, OH: February 2015 – May 2015
Discovery Place / Charlotte, NC: May 31, 2015 – September 2015
Oregon Museum of Science & Industry / Portland, OR: October 2015 – January 2016
Exploration Place / Wichita, KS: January 2016 – April 2016
Whitaker Center / Harrisburg, CA: May 2016 – September 2016
Gulf Coast Exploreum / Mobile, AL: September 2016 – January 2017
Buffalo Museum of Science / Buffalo, NY: January 2017 – May 2017
The Berkshire Museum / Pittsfield, MA: May 2017 – September 2017
Kalamazoo Valley Museum / Kalamazoo, MI: September 2017 – January 2018
Fort Worth Museum Of Science & History / Fort Worth, TX: January 2018 – May 2018
Museum of the Rockies / Bozeman, MT: May 2018 – September 2018
Cincinnati Museum Center / Cincinnati, OH: September 2018 – January 2019
St. Louis Science Center / St. Louis, MO: January 19 – April 14, 2019
The History Museum at the Castle / Appleton, WI: May 2019 – January 2020
McWane Science Center / Birmingham, AL: January 2020 – September 2020
Riverfront Museum / Peoria, IL: October 2020 - January 2021
The Durham / Omaha, NE: February 2021 - April 2021
The Bullock Texas State Museum / Austin, TX: May 2021 - July 2021
Denver Museum Of Nature And Science / Denver, CO: October 2021 – April 2022

The NGM also curates a touring art exhibition, "Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR." It debuted at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin in February 2015. It has since been presented at more than a dozen art museums in the United States, including:

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum: February 28, 2015 - May 31, 2016
New Mexico Museum of Art: February 6, 2016 - May 1, 2016
Sonoma County Museum: May 27, 2016 – September 5, 2016
The Haggin Museum: October 6, 2016 – January 8, 2017
Butler Institute Of American Art: January 20, 2017 – April 30, 2017
Saginaw Art Museum: September 29 – January 6, 2017
Vero Beach Museum Of Art: January 27 – May 6, 2018
The Appleton Museum of Ocala: May 14 – September 3, 2018
Fort Wayne Museum of Art: September 29, 2018 – January 6, 2019
Stamford Museum: February 22 – May 26, 2019
Currier Museum Of Art: June 29 – September 22, 2019
National Czech & Slovak Museum: October 5, 2019 – January 26, 2020
The Museum at Texas Tech: February 9 – May 9, 2020
Carlsbad Museum: June 22 – September 4, 2020
Museum Of Art & Science Daytona Beach: September 19 – January 10, 2021
Buffalo Museum Of Science: February 13, 2021 – September 6, 2021
Reading Public Museum: October 2021 – January 2022
Lauren Rogers Museum Of Art: January 2022 – April 2022

Lifetime achievement award[]

The NGM presents an annual "Lifetime Achievement Award" to a guitarist who has been instrumental to the legacy of the guitar.^[11] The recipients to date have been:

2010: David Honeyboy Edwards.^[12]
2011: Roger McGuinn of The Byrds.^[13]
2012: B.B. King, "King of the Blues"
2013: Vic Flick, the session guitarist who played on thousands of early British Invasion songs, known for performing the original James Bond theme song.
2014: Buddy Guy, pioneering Chicago electric blues guitarist.
2015: Tony Iommi, guitarist and founder of Black Sabbath, acknowledged as the creator of heavy metal.
2016: Glen Campbell, singer-performer and notable session guitarist, his TV show helped popularize the acoustic-electric guitar.
2017: Bonnie Raitt, blues guitarist and singer, one of the electric guitar's foremost slide players.
2018: José Feliciano, multi-genre guitarist and internationally renowned performer.
2019: Liona Boyd, classical guitarist.
2020: Eddie Van Halen, In Memoriam.
2021: Al di Meola, noted jazz, fusion, and world music guitarist.

References[]

^ Mervis, Scott. "National Guitar Museum rolls into Carnegie Science Center". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
^ Scaramuzzino, Amy. "Tony Iommi Joins National Guitar Museum Board". 101 WRIF. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
^ “National GUITAR Museum rolls out GUITAR Exhibit”, Connecticut Post.
^ Begos, Kevin. "Guitar museum travels the US, searching for a home". AP. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
^ “National GUITAR Museum keeps working the road”, The Los Angeles Times.
^ Nyman, Shane. "Amped up: History Museum showcasing the extensive history of the guitar". Post-Crescent Media. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
^ “Traveling Exhibit Hints at Possibilities of Permanent National Guitar Museum”, Guitar World Magazine.
^ “Guitar exhibit plays on science, romance”, Orlando Sentinel.
^ “GUITAR On Tour”, .
^ “GUITAR Exhibit Rocks The Science Center”, .
^ "Vintage Guitar - June 2018 - open - 24". www.nxtbook.com. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
^ CG News Desk. "The National GUITAR Museum Announces Presentation of "Lifetime Achievement" Award to David 'Honeyboy' Edwards". City Guide New York City. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
^ "National Guitar Museum a Hit In Orlando". Guitar International. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

External links[]

[1] Mervis, Scott. "National Guitar Museum rolls into Carnegie Science Center". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

[2] Scaramuzzino, Amy. "Tony Iommi Joins National Guitar Museum Board". 101 WRIF. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

[3] “National GUITAR Museum rolls out GUITAR Exhibit”, Connecticut Post.

[4] Begos, Kevin. "Guitar museum travels the US, searching for a home". AP. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

[5] “National GUITAR Museum keeps working the road”, The Los Angeles Times.

[6] Nyman, Shane. "Amped up: History Museum showcasing the extensive history of the guitar". Post-Crescent Media. Retrieved 2020-01-07.

[7] “Traveling Exhibit Hints at Possibilities of Permanent National Guitar Museum”, Guitar World Magazine.

[8] “Guitar exhibit plays on science, romance”, Orlando Sentinel.

[9] “GUITAR On Tour”, .

[10] “GUITAR Exhibit Rocks The Science Center”, .

[11] "Vintage Guitar - June 2018 - open - 24". www.nxtbook.com. Retrieved 2020-01-07.

[12] CG News Desk. "The National GUITAR Museum Announces Presentation of "Lifetime Achievement" Award to David 'Honeyboy' Edwards". City Guide New York City. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

[13] "National Guitar Museum a Hit In Orlando". Guitar International. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.

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