"Revolutionary Women in Music: Left of Center" is the latest exhibit opened at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Premiered on Thursday, March 7, the exhibit is dedicated to pioneering female artists from the mid-70s to the present days and features memorabilia, instruments, clothing and other artifacts from Patti Smith, Bjork, Beyonce, Destiny's Child, Lady Gaga, Hayley Williams of Paramore Janelle Monae, Lzzy Hale, Joan Jett, the Runaways, Meg White of the White Stripes and many more. "Revolutionary Women" also features three video sections documenting the artists saluted in the exhibit.
The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin — a 2018 Rock Hall inductee — Garbage's Shirley Manson, Lisa Loeb and guitarist Malina Moye appeared at the opening and dedication of the exhibit. Suzanne Vega, whose 1986 single provided "Revolutionary Women's" subtitle, was on hand the day before to view it. Moye opened the exhibit with a rendition of her instrumental song "Fine," while Wiedlin recited America Ferrera's monologue from the movie "Barbie." Loeb later played a three-song solo acoustic set in the Rock Hall atrium.
After taking red carpet photos, Wiedlin told us:
"This women's exhibit has been so moving and really inspiring, too, because I'm walking around remembering all these amazing artists. I gotta go back to playing all that music again. I'm really kind of turned on by this whole thing. It's been really fun." SOUNDCUE :17
Garbage's Manson, meanwhile, told us that she liked the spirit and theme of what "Revolutionary Women" celebrates:
"In a world that often expects women to be polite and smile more and be pleasing and be attractive, any woman that's willing to push up against the norm of how women are supposed to be, I think it's a wonderful thing and a necessary thing, and I think is what this exhibition's all about." SOUNDCUE :18
The "Revolutionary Women" exhibit will be open throughout the summer at the Rock Hall. More information can be found at rockhall.com.
Voting is currently taking place for the Rock Hall class of 2024, including a public vote via the Rock Hall website. The inductees as well as the date of the ceremony– taking place this fall in Cleveland and streamed live via Disney+ — will be announced during late April.