×
Your location has been changed to Providence area.
This Event has Passed
10th Anniversary of The Whale Guitar! -- A Celebration and Exhibition Kick-off
10th Anniversary of The Whale Guitar! -- A Celebration and Exhibition Kick-off
Wednesday, April 24, 5 - 6:30 pm | Donald J. Farish Auditorium, 3rd Floor
Join us for an evening of music to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of The Whale Guitar Project, originally launched at PPL in 2014! We’ll share stories of the guitar's making (and PPL's role in its inspiration), meaning, and journey - and meet some of the musicians who have played it in its first decade. Featured events will include sea shanties by Sharks Come Cruisin' Duo, songs by Jen Long and Beth Barron performed on The Whale Guitar, spoken word by Christopher Johnson, and more.
The evening will culminate in a procession from the Auditorium to the Rhode Island Room, where The Whale Guitar will be added to a selection of the archival items from PPL's Nicholson Whaling Collection that inspired its making, to create The Whale Guitar 10th Anniversary Exhibition.
(Befitting The Whale Guitar’s origin story in the Library, the whole project was inspired by Herman Melville’s great book, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale!)
This event is free and open to the public; registration is appreciated. Register at: https://provlib.libcal.com/event/11094920
The Whale Guitar 10th Anniversary Exhibition
This exhibition is on view in the Rhode Island Room (1st Floor) during regular library hours, from the evening of Wednesday, April 24 until Thursday, May 30.
The Whale Guitar — an astonishing, iconic, one-of-a-kind guitar that was inspired by Herman Melville’s great book Moby-Dick; or, The Whale; dreamed up by toy designer/guitar novice Jen Long; and handmade by Rhode Island artisans — made its public debut at PPL on April 24, 2014.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, The Whale Guitar will be the centerpiece of an exhibition that also features artifacts of its creation process and visual influences, including design sketches by artist William Schaff, and specimens from PPL's Nicholson Whaling Collection, including whaling logbooks and scrimshaw.
Mementos of The Whale Guitar’s decade-long journey as an Instrument of Change will also be exhibited, including event posters, magazine spreads, classroom material, and movie stills. Also on view will be photos and signatures of the hundreds of people who have played The Whale Guitar during its mission to reinterpret Melville’s epic tale as a climate warning and call to change — away from climate-heating fossil fuels and plastics, and toward renewable energies and eco-friendly materials.
Finally, observe the challenging shift that this Instrument of Change stirred up in the personal life and livelihood of its producer, Jen Long, who had been a successful toy designer creating My Little Ponies and baby playthings from fossil fuel-based plastics - prior to experiencing her extraordinary vision for The Whale Guitar.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2359943-0
