Opens at EMP|SFM February 6, 2010

Oral History Live!With Graham Nash on Friday, February 5^th at 7pm

 

Media Previews: Tuesday & Wednesday, February 3^nd& 4^th from 10am – noon

 

SEATTLE— On February 6, 2010, Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM) presents Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash. This dynamic exhibition showcases some of the most memorable photography in the history of popular music, as chosen by a legendary musician who is also well-known as a photographer, collector, and pioneer in digital imaging and printing.

 

As guest curator, Graham Nash, of Crosby, Stills and Nash, brings his rich musical history, keen eye, and storytelling skills to an exhibition of nearly 100 rock ‘n’ roll images taken by 40 of the world’s greatest music photographers, including Anton Corbijn, Lynn Goldsmith, Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, Neal Preston, Mick Rock, Francesco Scavullo and Nash himself. At a time when more museums are beginning to explore rock ‘n’ roll photography, Nash’s eye and perspective make this a rare exhibition.

 

While organizing the exhibition with Jasen Emmons, EMP|SFM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, Nash considered thousands of images and selected what he considers to be great photographs that exemplify the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, whether the artist is Elvis Presley, Sid Vicious or Johnny Cash. The images range from iconic shots to others that have never been published.

 

“It was an absolute pleasure to have been invited to take part in this exhibit,” said Nash. “Working with Jasen and his wonderful staff has been a joy and we were always on the same page. The images being presented are the culmination of months of work and thousands of images…I sincerely hope everyone enjoys our choices.”

 

“Taking Aim is an insider’s look at rock photography, seen from Graham’s perspective,” explains Emmons. “Graham has been on both sides of the camera, and this exhibition combines his two passions—music and photography—and provides a unique look at musicians and the photographers who captured the essence of rock ‘n’ roll and helped shaped its image.”

 

Oral History Live! & Publication

On Friday, February 5^th, Emmons will host Oral History Live! With Graham Nash at 7pm in Sky Church at EMP|SFM. In addition to Nash, featured Taking Aim photographers Joel Bernstein, Henry Diltz, Jim Marshall and Alan Messerwill also be on-hand to sign copies of the 160-page companion publication Taking Aim: Rock ‘n’ Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash. Released on November 23^rd by Chronicle Books, the book includes all of the images from the exhibition, with text excerpts from Nash’s exhibition audio tour, essays by Nash and Emmons, and an audio CD of Nash’s full audio tour.

 

Exhibition Elements:

 

About the exhibition organizers:

Graham Nash was born in Blackpool, England, in 1942. While best known as a musician--Nash first became famous as a member of The Hollies during the mid-1960s, and went on to co-found Crosby, Stills, & Nash--he has also pursued a parallel career as a photographer, collector, and digital imaging pioneer. In 1990 he co-founded Nash Editions, the first professional fine-art digital printmaking studio, with R. Mac Holbert. Nash’s photographs have been exhibited at museums and galleries around the world and were published in his retrospective book, Eye to Eye.

 

Jasen Emmons is the director of curatorial affairs at Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle. Since joining EMP in 1999, he has curated seven exhibitions, including Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966, which explored the critical and transformational decade in this American music legend's career. It debuted in fall 2004 at EMP before beginning a national tour, which included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Pierpont Morgan Museum & Library in New York City, and the Skirball Cultural Center and Museum in Los Angeles. Emmons served as lead curator of American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music, the first interpretive museum exhibition highlighting the profound influence and impact of Latinos on American popular music. Emmons graduated from the University of Oregon and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington. He is the author of the epic country and western novel, Cowboy Angst (Soho Press, 1995, Scribners, 1996).

 

The exhibition will run at EMP|SFM from February 6, 2010 through May 23, 2010. Admission to EMP|SFM is $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, youth and students and military personnel with ID. Children under 5 are free. EMP|SFM is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week.

HOURS
Summer hours May 28-September 6, 2010, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Winter hours September 7, 2010-May 26, 2011, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

TICKETS
$15 for adults; $12 for youth (ages 5-17), students, military and seniors; free for members and children under 5

CONTACT INFO
325 5th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-free
www.empsfm.org

ABOUT EMP|SFM
Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum (EMP|SFM) is dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in popular music and the thought-provoking ideas and experiences of science fiction.

ABOUT THE EMP|SFM BUILDING
Since EMP opened in 2000 and SFM in 2004, EMP|SFM has welcomed more than 5 million visitors through its doors. From its museum planning stages in 1998 through 2009, EMP|SFM has been a key economic driver among Seattle nonprofit arts and culture organizations, with combined EMP|SFM institutional expenditures and EMP|SFM audience-member spending resulting in $651 million dollars of local economic impact. EMP|SFM is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry-designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set amid the backdrop of the Seattle Center.