The Los Angeles-based GRAMMY Museum has announced that the Bob Marley Museum, located in Kingston, Jamaica, has become its very first official affiliate. The announcement comes on what would have been Bob Marley’s 69th birthday.
As a GRAMMY Museum affiliate, the Bob Marley Museum will have access to GRAMMY Museum exhibitions, educational initiatives, research programs, internship opportunities, collaborative marketing and promotions, technical support for interactive displays and more.
“Bob Marley gave the world something no other artist has,” said GRAMMY Museum executive director Bob Santelli. “Not only did he give us brilliant music, but he also became a heroic figure. His music spread a message of hope and unity. That message is as relevant today as it was three decades ago, and, through this partnership, it’s our hope to help continue to share that message with a new generation.”
The Bob Marley Museum is situated on the site of the legendary musician’s home, which he purchased in 1975. The house, an example of the 19th-century Georgian architecture, was Marley’s home until his passing in 1981. The house was converted into a museum five years later by his wife, Rita Marley, and was made a national heritage site by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust in 2006. The museum offers visitors a glimpse into Marley’s recording studio, displays personal belongings, tour memorabilia, presents audio visual presentations in the Bob Marley theatre and more.
Santelli first initiated talks of the affiliation when the GRAMMY Museum partnered with the Marley family in 2011 to debut the popular Bob Marley, Messenger exhibition in their temporary exhibit space in Los Angeles. That exhibit later traveled to London, Toronto and Miami.
“I’m delighted to continue our great relationship with the GRAMMY Museum by becoming an official affiliate, and I look forward to a relationship that will be exciting and rewarding for both institutions,” Marie Bruce, general manager of the Bob Marley Museum.
Since its opening in December 2008, the GRAMMY Museum strives to be a dynamic and innovative 21st-century museum through interactive technology, acclaimed public and education programs and one-of-a-kind exhibitions displayed at its Los Angeles headquarters and at institutional partners around the world. To further its education initiatives and mission, the GRAMMY Museum seeks to engage like-minded cultural institutions, both universities and cultural centers, in a collaborative and unique approach to arts education and outreach through its affiliate program. Additional GRAMMY Museum affiliates are expected to be announced throughout 2014.
To learn more about the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org. For more information about the Bob Marley Museum, visit www.bobmarleymuseum.com and www.bobmarley.com.
