“Reimagining: Rock My Soul “

Inaugural Exhibition of the Virtual Carr Center

Curated by Chelsea Flowers

17 years ago The Carr Center entered into an auspicious partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the result of that collaboration was our esteemed, nationally and internationally toured art exhibition, Rock My Soul.

For the inauguration of the Carr Virtual Center we chose to revisit those beautiful works and examine them through a new lens, in a new format, for new eyes. Curator Chelsea Flowers had this to say about the virtual exhibit.

“Reflecting upon this year, and thinking about the social and societal implications that will follow, 2020 is the year of reimagining. Reimagining how a virtual space employs attributes of a physical space. Reimagining how communities can still have engaging and meaningful interactions even if they are not face to face.

With these inquiries, Reimagining: ROCK MY SOUL!, the curatorial work of Meredith E. Rutledge is a starting point to investigate the aforementioned inquiries of space and engagement.

The original premise of Rock My Soul invited ten Black artists from Detroit to examine a genre or style of Black music and create a piece or series of work in response to the genre. In addition to the ten artists.

This project came at a pertinent time for me during COVID-19. I have not hugged or touched my mother or father in six months, seeing the artists’ connection with music made me reminiscent when listening to a Marvin Gaye song. I think about being in East Cleveland with my mother at my grandparents’ house. And when a Curtis Mayfield song pops into my head, I think about driving around Cleveland with my father. Engaging with the work of the ten artists made me feel connected to my hometown and my family for the first time since the pandemic began.

Explore, Reimagining: ROCK  MY SOUL! on exhibition inside The Virtual Carr Center starting January 29th.