Making a Scene showcases flyers, recordings and other objects from the Arthur Freedman Collection, an archive of recorded performances by bands in the Boston area from 1976-2011. In revisiting, reexamining and reframing the diverse, multigenre landscape of the Boston music scene, the exhibit addresses, among other concerns, inequity along lines of race, gender and sexuality, the changing conditions for artists in the shifting environment of a gentrifying city and the vital role of those who document its subcultural spaces.
Fall 2024 also marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the infamous Rathskeller (known affectionately as “the Rat”), a club that looms large in both the Freedman Collection and in Boston lore. Venues like the Rat, The Channel, Bunratty’s, and Cantone’s helped build Boston’s reputation as an incubator for a thriving, raucous punk scene that would later seed waves of musical development in the styles of post-punk, new wave, no wave and beyond.
This exhibit was curated by Evan McGonagill.
Please note: For the most up-to-date access policies and visitor guidance, please visit Harvard Library Visitor Access.
Persons with disabilities who would like to request accommodations or have questions about physical access, please contact Loeb Music Library Administrative Coordinator Patricia O’Brien, obrien2@fas.harvard.edu, 617-998-5314.