Boch Center Reveals Ernie Boch Guitar Exhibit Featuring Two Dozen Instruments That Helped Shape American Music

The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) announces a new exhibit featuring two dozen distinctive guitars from Ernie Boch Jr.'s personal collection. The Ernie Boch Jr. Guitar Exhibit, on display inside the Boch Center Wang Theatre, includes electric and acoustic instruments, each with a notable history and impact on musicmaking across multiple decades and myriad genres.

With the help of artificial intelligence, a hologram of Ernie Boch, Jr. will personally share each guitar's unique story. A virtual Ernie will answer guests' questions about himself, the significance of the guitars in the annals of music and the relevance each holds as part of his extensive collection.

Among the highlights of the exhibit is the Robert Johnson Gibson L-1, 1929, which is famously associated with Robert Johnson because he has this model guitar in his hands in one of the rare surviving photos of him. Johnson had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime (1911-1938), but his musicianship is recognized by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and others as a key influence on their own playing. Johnson is known for using the guitar as "the other vocalist in the song", and he is considered today to be one of the most significant musicians of the 20th Century.

"The guitar is one of the most important instruments in any genre of music," said Joe Spaulding, president and CEO of the Boch Center. "Each of these extraordinary guitars gives us insights into renown artists, the music they played and the style in which they played it. These instruments impacted generations of music across the globe, and we are excited to share this collection with the world."

Tours of FARHOF and the Ernie Boch Jr. Guitar Exhibit open to the public on October 27th.

The Folk America Roots Hall of Fame is an education initiative of the Boch Center. These genres of music have historically provided an outlet for individuals of all races, classes and locations to express their joys and sorrows. Through exhibits, lectures, concerts, and more, Boston's new cultural destination educates people of all ages about the important influence of these genres on all music today.

FARHOF programming is curated by Deana McCloud and Bob Santelli of the Museum Collective. In addition to Ernie Boch Jr.'s Guitars Exhibit, FARHOF's five current exhibits include 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.

Upcoming exhibits include Daniel Kramer's Photographs of Bob Dylan (1964-65), set to open January 18, 2023, and Arlo Guthrie which opens March 29, 2023.

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