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Exhibits at the Music and Performing Arts Library

Exhibits at MPAL serve an educational purpose and are intended to help disseminate knowledge while sharing unique materials in the Library’s collections. MPAL also supports students in the design of exhibits related to their research and creative activity.

Current Exhibit

Flat exhibit case with an Earth Wind & Fire record, an Earth Wind & Fire score displaying its cover, an Earth Wind & Fire score open to the song Fantasy, and caption cards with information about Earth Wind & Fire and afrofuturism.“Find Your Place Among the Stars” how Afrofuturism unfurls in Popular Music, Sara Ostermeier (February 2026-May 2026)

An aesthetic and movement across all arts, Afrofuturism considers what the future can or should look like for the Black and African community. It can also interrogate how our depictions of space and extraterrestrials might mirror the treatment and othering of Black and Brown people in White society. This exhibit explores the Afrofuturism found in Popular Music not only in the music & production but also the marketing and visual accompaniments. Most Afrofuturist scholars define Sun Ra as the definite beginning of this aesthetic in music. Ra and his Arkestra performed in glitter-clad ensembles all over South-side Chicago in the late 1950s. Their style was experimental and fusionist, too out-of-this-world for one single genre. In fact, most of the music explored in this exhibit venture outside of traditions or expectations.

In this exhibit each album is collocated by a shared Afrofuturist theme. Alien-nation features albums where the artist uses colloquial ideas of aliens or other worldly beings as allegories of lived experience. Composing the Future considers how the music itself can be futuristic. And The Future is Here incorporates albums with direct statements on current social conditions, encouraging community and action. For more information, consult Afrofuturism Free Resources sheet or listen to the Afrofuturism Exhibit playlist on Spotify.

Vertical exhibit case displaying a record and CDs where the artist uses colloquial ideas of aliens or other worldly beings, and open books about these artists alongside informational caption cards. Vertical exhibit case displaying records, CDs, an open score book of Herbie Hancock's music, and informational caption cards. Vertical exhibit case displaying records and CDs that contain direct statements on current social conditions with informational caption cards.

 

Student & Class Exhibits

MPAL is interested in highlighting the creative and research processes of students through exhibits in the Library. Consult our Student Exhibits page for more information and see past examples of Student Exhibits online. Instructors interested in having their students develop an exhibit as part of a class project should email MPAL.

 

Recent Exhibits

The Music of Farm Aid 1985, Holly Bleeden (August 2025-October 2025)Flat exhibit case with records by Farm Aid 1085 artists, a CD recording of the show, a full list of performers, a book open to information about BB King and benefit concerts, and a caption card about 1985 and other benefit concerts like Live Aid.

In a repetitive boom and bust cycle that began in the Great Depression and climaxed around the presidency of Ronald Reagan, family farms in the United States found themselves facing bankruptcy and loan default as the price of their crops fell lower than their cost of production. The ripple effect of the industry collapsing devastated the Midwest. Organized in just six weeks and featuring over 40 artists, the first Farm Aid was held at University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium on September 22, 1985. Featured artists spanned the folk, country, blues, and rock genres, and approximately 80,000 concert goers attended the festival, generating $7 million dollars to benefit farms in crisis. Farm Aid is the longest running concert benefit in the United States and is celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2025.

This exhibit features materials from the Music & Performing Arts Library’s collections related to the artists and the music they performed at the first Farm Aid concert in 1985. It is one of two companion Library exhibits to the Spurlock Museum’s Songs of Solidarity: The 1985 Farm Aid Concert, the other being the Funk ACES Library exhibit Farm Aid and the Farm Crisis. 

Vertical exhibit case with album records by Farm Aid 1985 artists, scores open to the music for songs performed at the concert, and a book of lyrics by Bob Dylan. Vertical exhibit case with information about farms in crisis, the first Farm Aid concert in 1985, scores open to the music for songs by John Mellencamp and others, an album by Johnny Cash, and a book open to the lyrics of Folsom Prison Blues.  Vertical exhibit case with album records by Farm Aid 1985 artists and scores open to the music for songs performed at the concert.

Echoes of Time: The Evolution of Music Media, Holly Bleeden and Monica Gil (April-August 2025)

This exhibit provides a historical timeline of recorded audio technology, focusing on the perspectives of everyday consumers of music media in the United Stated and covering early recordings from the 1800s through present day. It highlights a unique part of the Music and Performing Arts Library’s holdings and provides historical context for today’s music recording and listening practices. [This exhibit, curated by MPAL graduate assistants, was the winner of the University Library Exhibitions Committee’s 2025 Graduate Student Exhibition Contest.]

Vertical exhibit case featuring books, recordings, and a piano rolls. Items in this case discuss the first soundwaves, Enlightenment era attitudes towards recordings, and reproducing player pianos. Exhibit case featuring various vinyl records and one book. The items included highlight underrepresented voices, shellac discs, the first stereo recordings, and quadraphonic sound. Exhibit case featuring vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and printed music. The items included represent popular hits, new media formats (cassettes, then CDs), and musical compositions with accompanying media.