National Guitar Museum


The National Guitar Museum is a museum founded to promote and preserve the legacy of the guitar. It is dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. The NGM addresses the history of the guitar as it has evolved from ancient stringed instruments on to the wide variety of instruments that have been created over the past 200 years. It also focuses on the inventors and innovators involved in the instrument, along with the science and technology behind the guitar's construction, shape, and sound.

History

The museum was founded by HP Newquist, who serves as its executive director. The NGM's board of advisors includes notable guitarists Tony Iommi, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, Ritchie Blackmore, Liona Boyd, and Joe Bonamassa. Johnny Winter served on the board prior to his death. Curators include guitar industry veterans Rich Maloof and Pete Prown.

Touring exhibition

The NGM launched a touring exhibit entitled "GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World" that began with previews outside New York City in February 2011. The national rollout was in Orlando, Florida, on June 11, 2011. The exhibit is currently booked at sites in the United States for the next several years. At the completion of the tour, one U.S. city will be chosen to become the permanent home of the National Guitar Museum.
The hosts for the GUITAR Exhibit :
The NGM also curates a touring art exhibition, "Medieval To Metal: The Art & Evolution Of The GUITAR." It debuted at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin in February 2015. It has since been presented at more than a dozen art museums in the United States, including the Vero Beach Museum of Art, The Haggin Museum, the Currier Museum of Art, the New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Butler Institute of American Art.

Lifetime achievement award

The NGM presents an annual "Lifetime Achievement Award" to a guitarist who has been instrumental to the legacy of the guitar. The recipients to date have been: