Al Abrams' Motown in Black & While exhibit at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville

[woodward]

Exhibit on Motown opening at Ali Center | The Courier-Journal ...

www.courier-journal.com/article/.../Exhibit-Motown-opening-Ali-Center

14 hours ago - A major temporary exhibit focusing on Motown's impact on American culture will be featured at the Muhammad Ali Center from Aug. 30 through ...

[Roberta75]

Exhibit on Motown opening at Ali Center | The Courier-Journal ...

www.courier-journal.com/article/.../Exhibit-Motown-opening-Ali-Center [[http://www.courier-journal.com/article/.../Exhibit-Motown-opening-Ali-Center)

14 hours ago - A major temporary exhibit focusing on Motown's impact on American culture will be featured at the Muhammad Ali Center from Aug. 30 through ...

That's real nice. I wonder if mirage will attend.

Roberta

[marv2]

Is there another link? The one here seems to be broken.

[edafan]

try this one

http://www.courier-journal.com/


and go to the article
the computer keeps shortening the real url

edafan

[marv2]

try this one

http://www.courier-journal.com/


and go to the article
the computer keeps shortening the real url

edafan

Thank you very much Edafan.

[woodward]

Exhibit on Motown opening at Ali Center

Items include gowns, photographs, autographs









Aug. 17, 2013 |
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Written by

Sheldon S. Shafer

The Courier-Journal

Filed Under
In the Prime
In the Prime: Fun





A major temporary exhibit focusing on Motown’s impact on American culture will be featured at the Muhammad Ali Center from Aug. 30 through Nov. 10.

The exhibit is composed of items from the personal collection of Al Abrams, the founding publicist of Motown records. Abrams was the public relations director during the label’s glory days, working at Motown from 1959 to 1966.

“Motown in Black and White” will be included with the center’s regular admission price.

The exhibit includes: enlarged historical photographs with captions; gowns worn onstage by Supremes members Flo Ballard and Mary Wilson; jewelry worn by Ballard; a tambourine signed by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas; a display centered on Michael Jackson; and autographed purses, ties, albums and newspaper clippings and documents.

Visitors also will be entertained by iconic Motown performances displayed on a screen.

While at Motown, Abrams worked with the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and many other artists.

He said in a phone interview that the focus of the exhibit is on “Motown, its music, its history and the diversity of its family.”

He said in an email that the photographs “tell a wonderful and uplifting story about kids who grew up Motown. They made music their passion; they made Civil Rights history together, without even realizing it. And that is how Motown achieved its crossover sound, sold vinyl, and became a successful record label.

“These kids that grew up together had differences, but none that really mattered. Motown was not obsessed with skin color; but rather with making one sound for one world.”

An Ali Center release said, “This engaging photographic exhibit explores the impact that Motown had on both breaking down racial barriers in younger generations and shaping American culture. Visitors will be transported back in time through music made famous by Motown, while learning how this musical revolution has captured the souls of so many fans through the years.”

The exhibit is “an incredible educational tool that expounds the cultural impact that Motown music had at its start and the influence that it maintains to this day,” said Donald Lassere, the Ali Center president and CEO. He said the three-time heavyweight boxing champion and humanitarian “is a huge fan of Motown himself, so there is great symmetry for us to host” the exhibit.

Abrams is a native of Detroit and became the first employee of what was to become Motown Record Corp. Abrams has worked as a freelance reporter and publicist since leaving Motown and has written 11 books, including “Hype & Soul: Behind the Scenes at Motown.”

For more information about the Ali Center and the Motown exhibit, visit www.alicenter.org. Group tours are available and special rates apply for groups of 20 or more.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at