"21st century" music museum to open with slate of grand opening activities
GRAMMY.com
The GRAMMY Museum will celebrate its grand opening with a slate of activities Dec. 3–6, it was announced today. The 30,000 square-foot facility will explore and celebrate the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music — the GRAMMY Award.
The one-of-a-kind "21st century" music museum will feature interactive, permanent and traveling exhibits — with four floors of dynamic and engaging multimedia presentations — and will be located within L.A. Live, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. The grand opening of the GRAMMY Museum will also mark the culmination of the milestone 50th Celebration for The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Awards.
Grand opening festivities will kick off with "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night," a live CBS TV special and fundraising concert at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Dec. 3, and will culminate in an official ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke, Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow, Academy Chair of the Board Jimmy Jam, and others on Dec. 5. Following the ceremony, local school children will be the Museum's first visitors and will be led through the Museum's exhibits and educational programs by celebrity docents. Live music at Nokia Plaza and the premiere of the GRAMMY Walk of Fame will also take place before the Museum opens to the public on Dec. 6.
"Through the lens of the GRAMMY Awards, the GRAMMY Museum tells the story of making music in a new and exciting way," said GRAMMY Museum Executive Director
Robert Santelli. "Our exhibits and programs explore the process of music making — from songwriting to recording — while celebrating the interconnected histories of all genres of music. And we present this in a very contemporary way through interactive and multimedia technology across style and era."
With four floors of interactive and stimulating exhibit space, the GRAMMY Museum experience is celebratory, inspirational and educational. From the lobby, elevators take guests directly to the fourth floor where the Museum tour begins. A tunnel of bold graphics and powerful GRAMMY music opens to an exciting gallery space filled with films, artifacts and interactive exhibits — all of which capture the legacy of recorded music and reveal the many ways in which it intertwines with social and cultural history.
The third floor takes guests behind the scenes into the art and technology of the recording process and features hands-on, in-the-studio experiences, as well as an in-depth exploration of the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.
The Museum's second floor houses the 200-seat GRAMMY Sound Stage and will feature an exclusive film capturing the backstage world of the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Also home to the Museum's special exhibits gallery, the second floor will feature original temporary exhibits showcased on a rotating basis. The first traveling exhibit, "Songs Of Conscience, Sounds Of Freedom," will explore the depth of how music has been, and continues to be, a political force in American society.
Furthering its interactive theme, the GRAMMY Museum experience will feature educational and public programs designed to engage young people, students, music fans, industry professionals, and more. Events to be offered will include music classes for children; mentoring and question-and-answer sessions with visiting artists; lectures by music industry veterans including record label heads, producers, and engineers; film screenings, and concert series and artist showcases. Additionally, the Museum has developed partnerships with local colleges and universities including the University of Southern California, Occidental College, and FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising) to offer special programs and internships to students working toward a career in music.
The GRAMMY Museum is located within L.A. Live at 800 West Olympic Blvd., Suite A245, Los Angeles, CA 90015. The Museum, adjacent to Staples Center, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information about the GRAMMY Museum including admission, program and membership information, call 213.765.6800, visit www.grammymuseum.org or e-mail membership@grammymuseum.org.
