MXO ‘The Arts Unplugged’: Rock Hall Reports On 2020 & Shares Expansion & Upcoming Events News!

GREG HARRIS, PRESIDENT CEO ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

CoolCleveland.com, Posted March 22nd 2021

The Rock and Hall Of Fame held a press confereicerecently where president/CEO Greg Harris shared a lot of good news about the Rock Hall, despite the challenges of a pandemic year and major changes in how it handled its annual induction ceremony.

That induction, scheduled for its usual time slot last spring — in Cleveland — finally happened as an HBO special in November. That’s altered the schedule for next year, with nominees to be announced in February, the announcement of inductees in May, the inductee exhibit opening in July and the induction ceremony — again scheduled for Cleveland — some time in the fall.

While the Rock Hall closed in March, reopened in midyear, closed again when the pandemic surged in the late fall and reopened in January, it continued to expand its presence online with ramped-up virtual offerings. For instance, prior to the pandemic, it engaged with 50 teachers a day online in its educational component; that skyrocketed to 500 a day. Its YouTube views went from 70 million in 2019 to 130 million in 2020.

Despite its pandemic-induced uncertain schedule, the Rock Hall opened several new exhibits, including its Iconic: Baron Wolman’s Images of an Era, showcasing the work of Rolling Stone Magazine’s original photographer who before he passed away in November, donated his collection the Rock Hall Archives. It also opened It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment, which it put together quickly in the wake of last year’s racial justice protests, demonstrating its nimbleness and responsiveness to current events.

It’s also promising plenty of programming in the coming year including its current Black History Month events (mostly virtual), Women’s History Month in the spring, outdoor summer events on its plaza and the delayed Induction Week events in the fall.

Harris also shared news about the Rock Hall’s expansion which will add 50,000 square feet of space, including a performance space (often cited as the museum’s biggest missing component) with room for larger exhibits, events and an online research center. The expansion will also connect it to the neighboring Great Lakes Science Center. Groundbreaking is expected in 2022.

Check out everything that is going on at the Rock Hall here.