The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) will shine a light on Boston’s rich history of folk music with ‘The Song Is Still Being Written: The Folk Music Portrait Project.’ The new exhibit at the Wang Theatre opens September 12 and will feature images from renowned photographer Barry Schneier’s new book ‘The Song Is Still Being Written’ capturing acclaimed folk singer-songwriters – past, present, and future – who have made the Boston/Cambridge area their home for artistic development. From GRAMMY® winners to emerging artists, these musicians have shared roots at one of the most heralded performance spaces in folk music history: Harvard Square’s Passim (originally Club 47). Tickets for tours of the exhibit will be available at FARHOF.org. This exhibit is curated by the Museum Collective in collaboration and partnership with FARHOF.
The book, which will be released September 7, features more than three dozen artists and celebrates the continuing arc of folk music, from legendary performers such as Tom Rush, Jim Rooney, and Jim Kweskin to contemporary artists like Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, and Patty Griffin and fresh faces from the Folk Collective Initiative at Passim, including Naomi Westwater, Cliff Notez, and Kim Moberg, who are bringing new meaning to the definition of “folk” music. Each image is paired with a narrative written by longtime Boston Music Journalist James Sullivan. All of the images from the book will be on display at FARHOF.
The mission of the project is to illustrate that folk music continues to be an evolving, vital, and relevant art form,” said Barry Schneier. “As many of the artists have said, ‘Folk music is music by the people, for the people.’”
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Passim and Barry Schneier,” said Josiah Spaulding, Founder of FARHOF and Advisory Consultant. “We look forward to touring this exhibit around New England.”
Schneier has been immersed in the Boston music scene since the mid-1970s. His work is in the permanent collections of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music and the Smithsonian Institution. Though he has covered numerous acts, he is best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen — particularly his photos of Bruce and the E Street Band on the evening of May 9, 1974, at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.
The Folk America Roots Hall of Fame is a cultural and education initiative of the Boch Center located inside the Wang Theatre at 270 Tremont St. Boston, Massachusetts. Curated by the Museum Collective, FARHOF is geared to music lovers of all ages, providing educational offerings to ensure legacies are honored and new musical traditions are nurtured for generations to come. These genres of music have historically provided an outlet for individuals of all races and backgrounds, and from every corner of the United States to express their joys, sorrows, and experiences.
Through exhibits, lectures, concerts, educational programming and more, Boston’s new cultural destination continues to advance its mission and vision for people of all ages. Recent and current exhibits include the All Seeing Eye: Blue Note Records Through the Lens of Francis Wolff; Bruce Springsteen: Portraits of an American Music Icon; Legends of Folk, Americana, Roots Music; Arlo Guthrie: Native Son; Life in Six Strings; Don't Think Twice: The Daniel Kramer Photographs of Bob Dylan, 1964-65; Boston: A Music Town; The Wang Theatre: A Century of Great Music; historic artifacts from David Bieber Archives and the Cultural Heroes sculptures on loan from Alan LeQuire Galleries in Nashville, TN.
For updates, information about tours and upcoming events and exhibits please more visit www.FARHOF.org.
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About the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame:
In 2019, the Boch Center expanded its educational programming and launched the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF), Boston’s living music museum which celebrates the lifeblood of America’s musical and cultural heritage. Folk music provides an outlet for individuals of all races and backgrounds to express their highest joys and deepest sorrows.
FARHOF is dedicated to honoring the past, celebrating the present and nurturing the future of Folk, Americana Roots musicians. By learning from the past, the Boch Center and FARHOF hope to influence meaningful conversations today.
Housed in the Wang Theatre, FARHOF celebrates Folk, Americana and Roots music through displays, memorabilia, artifacts, events, lectures, exhibits, concerts, and educational programs.
About the Boch Center:
The Boch Center is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts institutions and a guardian of the historic Wang and Shubert Theatres. As New England’s largest cultural venue, the Boch Center is home to theater, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, opera, Broadway musicals, family entertainment, and more.
Located in Boston’s historic Theater District, the Boch Center also offers a diverse mix of educational, cultural and community outreach initiatives, including the City Spotlights Leadership Program and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame; collaborates with artists and local nonprofit arts organizations; preserves historic venues; and acts as a champion for Greater Boston’s arts and cultural community. Learn more at bochcenter.org.
About the Museum Collective:
The Museum Collective is a consortium of music museum professionals that creates special exhibitions and programs for museums and cultural institutions around the country and Europe. The partners in the Collective have collaborated on a variety of exhibits over the past decade, including a recent exhibit Woody Guthrie: People Are the Song debuting in 2022 at the Morgan Library in New York City. As partners in the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, the Museum Collective has curated and installed multiple exhibits within the historic Wang Theatre, featuring a variety of artists.
