Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame Announces a New Exhibit Featuring Guitars from Ernie Boch Jr.’s Private Collection
A Collection of 24 Guitars, their Storied Histories, and their Impact on Popular Music Brought to Life and on Display at the Boch Center Wang Theatre Beginning October 27
(Boston) 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.
The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame is located inside the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre at 270 Tremont St. Boston, Massachusetts. Tours are available at the Wang Theatre. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children and available at www.bochcenter.org/tours. Guests can find the most up-to-date schedule and book tours at www.bochcenter.org/tours. For updates and to join the mailing list for news, announcements, and more visit www.FARHOF.org.
Be sure to follow FARHOF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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) 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 history, while also nurturing the next generation of Folk, Americana, and 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 and concerts.
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.