Exhibitions

November 5, 2000, to February 25, 2001

  In the first ever exhibition dedicated to the visual design and evolution of the guitar, this critically acclaimed show revealed how fashion, technology, and musical tastes have literally shaped the world's most popular instrument over the past four centuries. Over 130 guitars from museums and private collections around the world were included, including instruments owned by legendary performers John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, and Prince. A free audio guide, narrated by James Taylor with commentary and recordings by leading musicians, led visitors through this remarkable exhibition. The exhibition was curated by Kuronen, who is also author of the exhibition’s award-winning catalogue of the same name.

July 9, 2005, to January 8, 2006

  The rich traditions of Asian music were explored in this exhibition of beautifully designed instruments from throughout the continent. Over 100 instruments from the MFA’s collections were included, augmented by loans from the Peabody Essex Museum and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Also exhibited were paintings, prints, and books from the MFA illustrating scenes showing the varied contexts in which these instruments were played. A highlight of the exhibition was the Museum’s 19th-century Javanese gamelan orchestra, which was demonstrated numerous times during the run of the exhibition. The exhibition was organized by Kuronen and curated by Mitchell Clark, who authored the exhibition’s catalogue of the same name.

October 8, 2022, to January 8, 2023

  This exhibition featured over 50 instruments and iconography from the world’s premiere private collection of 19th-century American banjos. With instruments dating from 1840 to 1900, it traced the banjo’s history, design, and decoration from its roots among examples created from gourds by enslaved Africans, through the ante-bellum years and the advent of minstrelsy, to the lavishly decorated instruments played in Victorian parlors and concert halls. The exhibition was co-curated by Kuronen and Jim Bollman.

March 6 to July 3, 2005

  This celebrated exhibition featured sixteen magnificent automobiles from the private collection of world-renowned designer and car enthusiast Ralph Lauren. Included were some of history’s most memorable cars, such as a 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe and the celebrated “Count Trossi” Mercedes-Benz SSK from 1930. Complementing those pre-war beauties were sleek racers from the 1950s and ’60s, including a legendary Jaguar XKD, a Porsche 550 Spyder, and famed models from the house of Ferrari, such as the 250 Testa Rossa and the GTO. The exhibition was curated by Kuronen, who contributed an introduction and interview with Lauren to the exhibition’s catalogue of the same name, which features thirty cars from the Lauren collection.