The new exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, located along Manhattan’s “Museum Mile,” features Madonna, MTV, Run-DMC, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Liquid Liquid, Max Roach, Fort Apache Band, and much more.
“During the Eighties, there was a community-driven musical renaissance in New York City. It was an era of creativity and genre-defying performance that, in my mind, stands as one of the most influential in musical and cultural history,” says Sean Corcoran, the museum’s curator of prints and photography. “That wide range of music –from no wave to pop to hip-hop to salsa to jazz, mixed in a dynamic arts scene that stretched across clubs and bars, theaters, parks, and art spaces– provided fertile ground for a musical revolution — one that continues to influence pop culture to this day.”
“The early 1980s were a time of significant transition in New York, with the city facing crime, urban decay, and homelessness. And yet, despite those challenges, it was also a particularly fertile time for music and other creativity in New York City,” says Whitney Donhauser, the director and president of the Museum of the City of New York. “The musical innovations of this time period are a great example of the resilience of the city and the importance of art and creativity as forces of transformation.”
