Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power @ Rock Hall
A Tribute to the Women Who Have Rocked Our World
The first item in the exhibit I encounter is Lady Gaga’s childhood piano. It is a common upright, much like one you might see in your Grandma’s Parma bungalow. It even has family pictures proudly perched on top, only these photos are of little Girl Gaga. Her little poker face hides the secret she had inside, showing the world that she was born this way.
This is truly a museum. The exhibit has many layers of information to soak up. There is a timeline along the one wall on the first level. It winds through time and up the dizzying spiral stairway to the next floor. The context the timeline provides is startling. For instance, it links the career of Bessie Smith with the first time women are allowed to compete in the Olympics in the 1920s. The 1930s mark Amelia Earhart’s flight and Billie Holiday’s heyday. Skipping ahead, the dawn of the pill is connected with the spawning of girl bands like the Ronettes, and of course, the Supremes in the 1960s.
The most pervasive features in the exhibit are in the glass cases that line the walls. One after another, mannequins sport the spectacular, iconic, faddish, and sometimes grungy outfits worn by the featured artists when they performed. Some outstanding specimens include Aretha Franklin’s lime-green, plus-sized chiffon gown; Grace Slick’s brown suede mini two-piece getup; Mama Cass’ flower-appliqued muumuu; Loretta Lynn’s pale-pink, fairy-tale princess costume; Cyndi Lauper’s outrageous red Flamenco dress that she wore on the cover of her debut album She’s So Unusual; Cher’s Indian headdress-adorned-yet-skimpy, Bob Mackie-designed ensemble… the list is just too long to include them all here.
Also on display in the cases are significant items that compliment the outfits: An occasional instrument, handwritten music and lyrics, album covers, etc. Additionally, video monitors are screening interviews, concert footage and music. There is so much of interest to see and listen to, that I am compelled to move on before the looping footage makes its way back to where it started.
If that is not enough, the website is also packed with biographies, videos, recordings, photographs, timelines, suggested reading lists and links, to add context and detail to each person highlighted in the exhibit.
These women embraced the energy, strength and creativity of the new music of their times without becoming copies of the males who practiced the art form. They kept what made them female intact, and the exhibit excels at highlighting their unique rolls in the history of Rock and Roll. The female musicians who rose above their peers and poked through the male screen of popular music are featured and credited for their contribution to music, fashion and popular culture.
Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power is on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum through February 2012. Check the website for hours.
Carol Drummond has been a professional designer for 25 years. Prior to starting her award-winning graphic design studio 15 years ago, Drummond Design, she graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, worked at a graphic design studio, a video production company, and a consumer products company. She has been an art docent for Mayfield City Schools and currently serves on the COSE Arts Network Advisory Committee. http://www.DrummonDesign.com
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