TAYLOR SWIFT: SPEAK NOW—TREASURES FROM THE WORLD TOUR EXHIBITION TO OPEN JUNE 6
AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME ® AND MUSEUM
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 29, 2012 – The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore superstar Taylor Swift’s record-breaking world tour with the exhibition Taylor Swift: Speak Now—Treasures from the World Tour, which
opens on June 6, 2012, and runs through November 4, 2012. The
exhibition will include dozens of costumes, instruments, set pieces and
props from the six-time Grammy winner’s acclaimed 2011-12 Speak Now World Tour, which entertained more than 1.5 million fans over 111 shows in 19 countries spanning four continents.
“Taylor Swift’s Speak Now
tour was one of the most successful tours in all of music, and she has
been an ambassador for country music, raising awareness of our genre
literally around the globe,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “We are
delighted to be able to bring our visitors up close and personal with
many of their favorite elements from the show, from the colorful and
elaborate stage costumes and beautiful instruments, to the magnificent
‘Juliet balcony’ that Taylor entered near the conclusion of each show
and ‘flew’ around the circumference of each venue.
“Taylor is a dynamic live performer whose open heart and engaging
personality allow her to make even the largest stadium shows an intimate
experience,” Young continued. “Touring has always been a key element
connecting music artists with their fans; those interactions help forge
and strengthen the artist-fan relationship, and this exhibit speaks to
that. And the opportunity came to us out of discussions we were having
with Taylor related to our expansion—serendipity is a wonderful thing!”
Earlier this month, Swift pledged $4 million to fund a new education
center at the museum. Swift’s gift, the largest capital contribution by
an individual artist in the museum’s 45-year history, prompted the
museum to name the new space the Taylor Swift Education Center. The
center will open in early 2014. The gift was made in conjunction with
the museum’s expansion capital campaign, Working on a Building: Country Music Lives Here.
Swift has for years been a generous supporter of the museum’s
exhibitions, loaning the institution dresses, stage costumes and
instruments for display; a free-standing, Taylor Swift multimedia
exhibit has been one of the museum’s most popular attractions since its
debut in May, 2010.
The Speak Now exhibition will recreate 10 vignettes from the tour, including the following artifacts:
·
Taylor’s Roberto Cavalli ombre gold bugle-beaded dress and shimmering
red Gibson Les Paul model electric guitar, featured during Swift’s
performance of “The Story of Us”
·
Taylor’s vintage ecru lace dress and Deering six-string banjo with
rolled steel drum; fiddle player’s Marc by Marc Jacobs moss green crepe
dress; male dancer’s soft-shoe costume including Brixton tartan plaid
newsboy cap, shirt, pants, vest and oxfords; and numerous props
including the 6’ x 8’ switchboard
·
Taylor’s pale blue silk Marchesa gown with rhinestone bodice; and a
white piano bench with tufted leather upholstery, both featured in “Back
to December”
· Taylor’s red, sequined Jenny Packham slip dress and knee-high leather boots, worn during “Better Than Revenge”
·
Taylor’s vintage purple silk halter dress; dancers’ costumes including a
chiffon bridal gown with pearl- and bead-encrusted bodice, tulle veil
and silk rose bouquet; two cotton-candy pink bridesmaids’ dresses with
lace bodices and ruffled tulle skirts, and bouquets; groom’s ivory
tuxedo and black pants; cleric’s vestments; and props including retro
microphone, all featured during “Speak Now”
·
Taylor brand koa wood ukulele with mother-of-pearl inlay, whose “happy
sounds” Swift elicited during her acoustic performance of “Fearless”
·
Taylor’s sleeveless, flesh-colored Reem Acra gown with sequin overlay;
female dancer’s ballerina costume, comprised of a gold and ivory brocade
bodice and pastel tulle tutu, embellished with pastel tulle flowers,
seed pearls and beading; male dancer’s tunic and leggings; and prop
trees; all featured in “Enchanted”
·
Taylor’s re-worked vintage dress, featuring leather corsetry; and the
mallet she used to ring the bells during her performance of “Haunted”
·
Taylor’s black Jenny Packham flapper-style slip dress with rhinestone
embellishments; black knee-high leather boots; and Taylor brand
“sparkle” guitar encrusted with Swarovski crystals and featuring a
headstock outlined in crystals and embellished with a crystal “13,”
featured during “Long Live”
·
Taylor’s golden Valentino ball gown, featuring layers of tulle and a
sequin overlay; dancers’ and aerialists’ costumes; and the “Juliet
balcony” in which Swift soared above the crowd during each performance
of “Love Story.”
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame®
and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state
of Tennessee in 1964. The museum’s mission is the preservation of the
history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern
culture. With the same educational mission, the foundation also
operates CMF Records, the museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press,
Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print®.