Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar

The guitar has been a signature element of world culture for more than 500 years.  As the guitar’s ancestors evolved over centuries from the earliest ouds and lutes, guitar makers experimented with shapes, materials, and accessories, seeking the perfect blend of beauty and sound. Spanning centuries of design and craftsmanship, the exhibition takes visitors through the history of an object that is one of the most recognizable items on the planet.

The show features 40 iconic stringed instruments, ranging from an intricately inlaid Moorish oud, a six-foot long Renaissance theorbo, to guitars displaying the modern Italian design of the Eko and one with a stunning transparent  acrylic body of California’s BC Rich guitars.

Art and music transcend cultural boundaries while the most recognized musical instrument – the guitar – has influenced culture beyond music.  Through the years the guitar and its shape have been integral elements for artists such as Vermeer and Picasso, and today they are incorporated into the advertisement of everything from clothes to cars.

Sponsored in part by

Chuck and Lisa Surack and Sweetwater