Tubman African American Museum

Macon, GA

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The Soul of Rock and Roll

Tubman African American Museum, Macon GA
Exhibit Design: Proun Design LLC
Size: 2,500sf
Cost Estimating: 1220 Exhibits

"Macon is called the heart of Georgia. For many music fans, it is also the epicenter, ground zero, the very birthplace of rock n’ roll. The trains rumbling through town and the rollicking gospel of its many churches provided the childhood sound track for young Richard Penniman. A virtuoso musician and singer, Penniman (aka Little Richard) would combine rhythm, soul, and his innate sense of showmanship into a music style that would become rock. Penniman’s admirers also included another Macon-raised musical innovator, Otis Redding. A decade younger than Penniman, Redding explained, “If it hadn’t been for Little Richard, I would not be here." Redding’s sound evolved into what would be called southern soul, embodied by classic songs like “Respect” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”

A new exhibit at Macon’s Tubman African American Museum in Macon will celebrate these two extraordinary artists, both early inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dynamic audio, video footage, and object displays trace their remarkable careers: one long (Penniman) and one tragically short (Redding). Exhibits also bring to life the Macon music scene of the 1940s and 1950s, when Penniman and Redding earned their chops. The centerpiece of the gallery will be a performance space, as befits an exhibit about two consummate performers."

Proun Design, LLC lead a team of veteran exhibit designers including Scott Rabiet, Sara Smith, Sarah Morris, and Michelle Jarvis in the development of a concept design package targeted for fund raising.

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