After nearly a year on display, University Collections’ “Amped at IU” exhibit celebrated its closing day Saturday at the McCalla School with a unique showcase of 13 legendary guitars from the Jim Irsay Collection, bringing iconic pieces of music history to IU’s campus.
“Amped at IU,” which opened September 2024, featured instruments from the Jacobs School of Music, Traditional Arts Indiana and the guitar collection of late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. The exhibition was arranged to demonstrate how the guitar has developed into the modern instrument we know it to be today.
On the day of the exhibit’s closing, attendees were treated to the rare opportunity to view 13 guitars from the Jim Irsay Collection that had not been on display for the past year, all of which were owned and played by key figures of rock music history.
From the Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain smashed out of frustration during a concert to the Fender Stratocaster Bob Dylan used during his infamous electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the collection was a representation of key moments in music history. Some of these moments, including Dylan’s 1965 performance, played on a projector accompanying the exhibit.
In addition to art on the bodies of the guitars, many of the guitars also had signs of wear-and-tear from years of use, including dents and scratches on headstocks and finger marks in the wood of fretboards. Jeremy Hackerd, assistant director of special projects at University Collections, said the visual imperfections on the instruments seemed to bring their history to life.
“Most people never get the chance to be this close to instruments played by Dylan, Harrison or Cobain,” he said. “To see the scratches and the fingerprints is to see history up close.”
Some of the instruments in this exclusive display were personalized to their original owners, featuring artistic imagery and designs. Among these were Eric Clapton’s psychedelic “The Fool” guitar from his days playing in Cream, and Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia’s guitar with an iconic tiger design.
The collection offered the chance for visitors to connect with music and the artists who created it through viewing their guitars, University Collections Associate Director Brian Woodman said.
“I think it helps connect people with things they see on TV, or real people that did real things,” he said.
Many attendees seemed to have emotional reactions to seeing the guitars up close. Bloomington resident Jane Michi said she was nearly brought to tears at the sight of Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang in person.
“You can just feel it; you can feel the presence of the artist there. It’s just a living piece of art,” Michi said.
Hackerd reflected on the personal connections attendees seemed to display with the various instruments. He said the guitars brought the music to life for many visitors.
“It’s powerful to see fans sit in front of Cobain’s guitar or Garcia’s ‘Tiger’ and get emotional,” he said. “These objects make the music real in a way recordings alone can’t.”
For the closing celebration, guests could register for free self-guided tours of the exhibit. Additionally, registrants had the choice of attending three separate talks about guitar history, delivered by IU faculty members Gabriel Lubell, Mandy Smith, and Glenn Gass. The topics of these lectures included exploring the awe of iconic guitars and looking at the most iconic guitar riffs in rock history.
The “Amped at IU” closing celebration ran from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 13. Although the exhibit is now closed, it provided the IU community with the opportunity to view iconic artifacts of music history for nearly a year.
