Acknowledgements
Rewind Remix Replay: Design, Music & Everyday Experience is a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary exhibition that has been made possible because of the participation of designers, photographers, journalists, curators, collectors, students, musicians and engineers, both locally and nationally. These individuals have provided not only their intellectual expertise but also access to their collections of rare artifacts.
Prasad Boradkar, Guest Curator and Associate Professor of Industrial Design at Arizona State University, first proposed the idea for Rewind Remix Replay to former Scottsdale Museum Director Susan Krane and former Senior Curator Marilu Knode. In the spring of 2008, upon my arrival as senior curator, Prasad and I started to develop and detail the project with the help of Claire Carter, Curatorial Coordinator. As the months passed and the enormity of the project became clear, we brought on Cassandra Coblentz, Associate Curator
We owe a great deal of thanks to our Community Advisory Committee members who offered their enthusiasm and expertise for the project early on: Jared Alan, DJ; Mark Chichester, DJ, industrial designer and musician; Joe DiPadova, DJ; Debbe Goldstein, independent curator and designer; Rani Gharfeh, DJ; Peter Lehman, Director of the Center for Film, Media and Pop Culture, Arizona State University; Mr. P-Body, DJ; Christopher Pomerenke, filmmaker and musician; Robert Sentinery, editor of Java Magazine and adjunct design professor; and Dave Strickler, DJ.
Key individuals jumped in as consultants and served on the exhibition team. Amethyst Saludo, graphic designer, put in a tremendous effort in designing the identity as well as the exhibition design for Rewind Remix Replay. Richard Mook, Assistant Professor of Music History and Literature, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Arizona State University, has been an invaluable music history resource, aligning the music side of this project solidly with its design face. Kyle Larkin, web designer and programmer, created a beautiful website for the project and generously responded to its evolving needs; Adam Murray, audio engineer, helped us enable our visitors to hear industrial design. Jamey Strunk, Intern turned temporary curatorial assistant, has continually stepped up to provide support for the project. She became our Internet scout, a key crafter of the checklist, an essential research assistant and a contributing author of object labels. Luke Morey, industrial designer, provided excellent design expertise and craftsmanship for our iPod Touch application interactive station.
Over 60% of the objects on view were borrowed from within the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. Many individuals brought in their personal treasures to our two open-calls this past summer. Others, both locally and nationally, generously shared items cherished over many years: Jasen Emmons, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Experience Music Project, Seattle; Sean Duffy, artist; Matthew Hill, Musical Instruments Museum, Phoenix; Scott Jarson, owner, Jarson & Jarson Reality, Phoenix, and guitar collector; Brian Kehew, musician; Kimber Lanning, owner, Stinkweeks Records, Phoenix, and community activist; Kathy Larchian, Pensa; Scott McKenzie, musician and synthesizer collector; Marv Meyerson, record collector; Lyle Owerko, photographer and boombox collector; Trevor J. Pinch, Professor of Science & Technology Studies and Sociology, Cornell University; Josh Ralph, musician; DJ Ross, DJ and boombox collector; Jaci Scully, transistor radio collector; Dave Strickler, DJ; and Tristan Zimmerman, designer of the Phonofone.
A number of corporations provided invaluable assistance. We thank Karen Fujimoto, Activison, for assistance with Guitar Hero and DJ Hero; Jeff Affrunti, Bose Corporation; Magdalena DeGasperi, Braun GmbH; Billy Siegle, Artists Relations Manager, Fender Music; Jenny Marsh, Gibson; Mike Adams, President, Moog Music; Roy Thompson, Director of Design, Newton Peripherals; Jonathan Hayes, Creative Director, Numark Industries; Jacques Riendeau, Oracle Audio Technologies; Carl Price and Craig Stafford of Bose Corporation; Ravi Sawhney and Chelsea Sutula, RKS Design, Inc.; Keita Sanekata, Sony Corporation’s Corporate Communications group; and Lisa Kobor, Yamaha.
Others went the extra mile to help create the beautiful installation. Steve Biltz, Melissa M. Button, Mark Fromeyer, Matt Krise and Carrie Beth Henderson in ASU’s Design Shop built many of the pedestals and the DJ booth with amazing efficiency, speed and energy. Photographer Mike Williams took excellent photographs of local independent record stores and of key objects for our website. Thanks also to Gabe Holland of Design Within Reach, Scottsdale, who provided classic mid-century modern as well as contemporary furniture for the DWR+Geneva Listening Lounge.
We are grateful to the photographers who lent us their amazing documentation of key moments in music history. Jamel Shabazz’s images of New York in the mid-1980s capture the essence and attitude of the original boombox. Charlie Ahearn documented the turntable revolution as it was happening in the early 1980s.
We thank the writers and audio essayist who shared their stories: Rob Walker, material culture critic and New York Times Magazine “Consumed” columnist, brought the technological and design revolution home for us. Trevor J. Pinch explored how technology and design can become meaningful parts of our memories and identities. Nate DiMeo, award-winning public radio producer and creator of the memory palace, a history podcast, contributed thoughtful, engaging and wonderfully illuminating audio essays.
None of this could have happened without our good fortune to have such a fabulous editor, Terry Ann R. Neff. Terry guided the project through installation didactics to the expansive web catalogue with her ever sharp eye, grace and sense of clarity. She crafted a consistent voice among the large and diverse group of author, working generously under tight time constraints.
A number of others helped with public programs. Leading the way was Carolyn Robins, Curator of Education, who organized innumerable events for a wide spectrum of audiences. We thank Mark Chai, World Famous Rani “g” (Rani Gharfeh), Maji, (Dave) DK Strickler and Mr. P-Body for demystifing how DJs work. We thank the contributing Phoenix-area designers and ASU design faculty for offering high-school students the opportunity to peer into professions related to induwstrial design at our Teen Design Workshop. And we thank Scott McKenzie and Dayvid Lemmon of ELEKTROBAHN for performing their analogue synthesized music at our opening.
Every exhibition at SMoCA utilizes the dedicated, resourceful and positive expertise of the entire staff. With over 450 items, fifteen interactive stations and a special circular room, Rewind Remix Replay is an exceptional example of their gifts. Pat Evans, Registrar, skillfully managed an inordinate amount of loans and delivery details. Laura Best, Exhibitions Manager, with Nicholas Quint, Preparator, made this complex visual adventure a beautiful and engaging reality. Laura Bacon, Gwyneth Fearhead, Steve Hayes and Catherine Akins, Assistant Preparators, were invaluable, working long hours with enthusiasm. Diana Bergquist, Graphic Designer, coordinated the exhibition identity and myriad image production needs with her consummate grace. Lesley Oliver, Public Relations and Marketing Manager, was a huge help in connecting us to DJs and designers all across the Valley. Alex Parker-Moquay, Development Director, was a key asset all around. Elizabeth Theisen, Assistant to the Director; Lauren Chambers, Education Assistant; and Cassandra Safilian, Intern, all offered their special skills and time at strategic moments. Esmeralda Angel provided key technological support for the installation. Barbara Meyerson, Interim Director, provided crucial encouragement and guidance. Tim Rodgers, Director, supported us on the sprint to the finish line.
Cassandra Coblentz, Associate Curator, and Claire Carter, Curatorial Coordinator, were star curatorial teammates. Both gave an extraordinary amount of energy along with their particular expertise to make this such a thoughtful, detailed and interactive project. They deserve enormous credit for helping to create such an impressive, conceptually driven, dynamic and multisensory experience.
Our Guest Curator Prasad Boradkar was the driving vision of the exhibition. We thank him for bringing such an engaging concept to us and collaborating to secure such a range of objects and design expertise to bear on an important subject. The way design has affected our experience of music is profound and understudied, and while many design exhibitions reveal the special and unique objects made by prized designers, Rewind Remix Replay: Design, Music & Everyday Experience celebrates the design that surrounds us every day and asks us to consider its effect on our lives.
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is committed to showcasing creative and innovative exhibitions on design. We are thrilled to be able to bring another adventurous project to our community.
--- Claire Schneider, Senior Curator, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
