KERA Arts Story Search



Looking for events? Click here for the Go See DFW events calendar.

Is It Time To Create A Rock Photography Museum?


by Hady Mawajdeh 15 Mar 2019 3:48 PM

Hady Mawajdeh and Art&Seek have been at SXSW all week. Read the coverage 

Earlier this year, Dallas’ alternative news website Central Track decided to throw their first music awards showcase.

This conversation was inspired by a SXSW panel titled “Why The World Needs a Rock Photography Museum.”

And like the Dallas Observer’s annual awards show, the folks at Central Track wanted to shine a light on the talented musicians, producers, and venues in the North Texas music scene.

But when Central Track first announced their showcase, one of the exciting awards they planned to give out was for a category I’ve never seen locally; the Best Concert Photographer. It makes sense that an award show celebrating music would also celebrate the people who capture the images that both document and promote musicians and their music. But again, I’d never seen it.

It was an awesome thing to do. They selected seven outstanding photographers, all beloved in the region, and they shined a light on them. (You can see their work below) It made me think differently about who’s capturing the images at concerts, what challenges live music photographers face and why don’t more people know who these artists are?

That last question is something that Uber Archives’ founder Drew Evans and Modern Rocks Gallery’s Steven Walker think about quite often. They’re also wondering, who’s preserving the photos from concerts in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Art&Seek spoke with them about the topic after the “Why The World Needs a Rock Photography Museum” panel at SXSW.

They say they’re still a ways away from breaking ground. But Evans and Walker believe museums could be built in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Austin, and London. The pair says photographers can teach courses on preservation and technique in the future museums’ learning centers. And aside from educating the next generation of rock photographers, they see limitless possibilities for live events and merchandise.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

#kaseymusgraves #ohwhataworldtour #bombfactorydallas #dallasobserver Kacey Musgraves performs for a sold out crowd in Dallas TX. #nikonz7

A post shared by Mike Brooks (@commiebiker73) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Night 2 @capitalone house at @antonesnightclub ft. @chvrches @jadebirdmusic @abrahamalexander #sxsw2019

A post shared by Karlo X. (@kx0101) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

ʙᴇʙᴇ ʀᴇxʜᴀ⋆sᴘᴏᴛɪғʏ ɢʀᴀᴍᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ

A post shared by × (@aly.fae) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Thanks to @paradeofflesh for bringing Incendiary to Texas @incendiaryhc @clubdadadfw More at link in bio

A post shared by Gray Muncy (@birddog14) on

 

View this post on Instagram

 

‍♂️ it’s only my third day out here #tbt

A post shared by SayBrea (@saybrea) on

 

SHARE