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The Arts Intel Report

Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art

Thomas Hart Benton, Jessie with Guitar, 1957.

Oct 19, 2022 – Mar 19, 2023
200 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220, United States

From country bands in Missouri to indie rock bands in New York, the guitar has been an enduring symbol of American culture. It is also a continuing presence in the country’s art. This exhibition presents the guitar in photographs, paintings, and sculpture. Highlights include photographs of the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange and Marion Post Wolcott, and a shot of Woody Guthrie with a sticker on his guitar that says “This Machine Kills Fascists.” —Elena Clavarino

Photo: © 2022 T.H. and R.P. Benton Trusts/Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York