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Center to exhibit Celebrating American Roots Music
11/5/2007
The Center for Arts & History at Lewis-Clark State College, in cooperation with the Idaho Humanities Council, will explore aspects of America’s roots music in “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition that will open Nov. 17 and run through Jan. 5 at the Center.
The public is invited to celebrate the opening of New Harmonies with light hors d’ouvres and music from WANIGAN on Nov. 17 at 4-6 p.m. in the Main Gallery of the LCSC Center for Arts & History.
Music is all around – at a local festival, at a dance hall on a Saturday night, or on the radio or mp3 player. Whether its’s blues, country western, folk, or gospel, American roots music reveals the American story – people reshaping themselves in a new and changing world. As Americans from a variety of heritages shared cultural influences, musicians found new ways to play unique sounds learned from new neighbors on traditional instruments. The inevitable intermingling of musical influences created exciting new sounds – new American music.
The Center for Arts & History and the surrounding community have been chosen by the Idaho Humanities Council to host the exhibt as part of the Museum on Main Street project – a national/state/local partnership to bring exhibitions and programs to rural cultural organizations. Lewiston is the final community in Idaho to host New Harmonies, which will be traveling through Tennessee, Louisiana, Virginia, Utah, and Kentucky in 2008.
Through a selection of photographs, recordings, instruments, lyrics and artist profiles, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music” will explore the distinct cultural identities of American roots music forms. The exhibition will examine the progression of American roots music. Other musical genres profiled include zydeco, tejano, bluegrass and klezmer.
“We are very pleased to be able to bring New Harmonies to our area,” said Ellen Veith, CAH Curator. “It allows us the opportunity to explore this fascinating aspect of our own region’s musical history and we hope that it will inspire many to become even more involved in the cultural life of our community.”
“Allowing all of our state’s residents to have access to the cultural resources of our nation’s premiere museum is a priority of the Idaho Humanities Council”, said Rick Ardinger, IHC Executive Director. “With this special tour, we are pleased to be working with LCSC Center for Arts & History in Lewiston to help develop local exhibitions and public programs to compliment the Smithsonian exhibition.”
Such free events include Rosalie Sorrels in concert at LCSC, Men of Worth playing for local school students, and Potato Head playing at the Center for Arts & History.
To learn more about New Harmonies and other Museum on Main Street exhibitions, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.
The exhibit has been made possible in Idaho by the Idaho Humanities Council with support from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
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