“Stepping Into the Unknown,” a new exhibition featuring props and costumes from James Mangold’s eight-time Oscar-nominated film “A Complete Unknown” from Searchlight Pictures, starring Timothée Chalamet, will open February 28 at the Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa.
Arianne Phillips, the film’s Oscar-nominated costume designer, and music supervisor Steve Gizicki will appear at a special opening event February 27. The evening will begin with a preview of the exhibit at the centers, followed by a screening of the film at Tulsa’s Circle Cinema [10 S Lewis Ave] where Phillips and Gizicki will discuss their approach and creative process. Members have early access to reserve their free ticket during a pre-sale period beginning Thursday, February 13 at noon CT, before tickets become available to the public at noon Monday, February 17 here.
Presented in partnership with Searchlight Pictures, the capsule exhibit will be the first staged concurrently at the Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie centers, both of which are operated by the American Song Archives. The exhibit will illuminate the deep bond between the two hugely influential American songwriters. As depicted in the film, Dylan set out to visit Guthrie in a hospital immediately upon his arrival in New York City from Minnesota.
“As moviegoers learned from ‘A Complete Unknown,’ the relationship between Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie is essential to an understanding of 20th century American music,” says Steve Higgins, managing director of the American Song Archives. “This exhibit will amplify that story by connecting it to the real-life artifacts in our collections.”
Props on display will include:
Dylan’s letter to Guthrie
Guthrie’s harmonica
Johnny Cash’s letters to Dylan
Fabricated album covers
“Blowin’ in the Wind” lyrics on a cocktail napkin
New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” the electric story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history. The film also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie.
The centers provided source material for the film’s creative team. The prop master spent time in Tulsa researching items that were replicated in the film.
“The exhibit is a full-circle moment in a sense,” Higgins says. “We are bringing to Tulsa items from the film that were inspired by our collections in the first place.”
The Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Dual admission tickets and memberships are available, as are senior, student and veteran discounts. Youth under 17 and K-12 teachers receive free admission. More information at bobdylancenter.com and woodyguthriecenter.org.
About the Bob Dylan Center
The Bob Dylan Center inspires and celebrates fearless creativity by exploring the music and artistry of the Nobel Prize–winning singer-songwriter as a catalyst for personal expression and cultural change.
As the primary public venue for the Bob Dylan Archive® collection, the center curates and exhibits a priceless collection of more than 100,000 items spanning Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence; films, videos, photographs and artwork; memorabilia and ephemera; personal documents and effects; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments and many other elements. The center presents a full roster of public programs including concerts, film screenings and author talks. Since opening in May 2022, the Bob Dylan Center has welcomed visitors from all 50 states and nearly 40 countries. The center has garnered numerous design awards and accolades from publications including the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, Uncut and Mojo.
For more information, please visit www.bobdylancenter.com.
About The Woody Guthrie Center
The Woody Guthrie Center celebrates the life, music and artistry of the influential folk musician while seeking to ignite a passion for social change and foster a world in which the values of justice, equality and compassion prevail. The center honors Guthrie’s life and legacy by educating visitors, teachers, students and scholars about his relevance today and his important role in American history through on-site programming, classroom materials, youth music programs, artist-in-residence programs, school outreach, internships, fellowship opportunities and the Woody Guthrie Center Archives.
For more information, please visit www.woodyguthriecenter.org.
