The museum is open!

Many Marinites have been disappointed by the cancellation of their favorite music festivals this summer. MarinMOCA is offering the next best thing – an exhibit of Marin’s Rock Art that will bring music memories alive. “Marin’s Rock Art Scene” documents Marin County as ground zero to the explosion of rock music in the late 60s, with local musicians, artists and music venues that were central to the movement. Starting with the Grateful Dead’s first Marin home in Olompali to the halls of Mt. Tamalpais high school where Tupac Shakur roamed, viewers will enjoy fifty years of rock history and rock art.

The show features photography from Herb Greene and Jay Blakesberg, vintage posters by Stanley Mouse, Randy Tuten, Bonnie MacLean and Wes Wilson, original artwork by Joan Baez and Dave Getz, and priceless memorabilia, such as a Gibson electric guitar signed by the Jefferson Airplane.  Visitors will also encounter photographs of hand-painted concert sets for Santana and the Grateful Dead by artist George Mead. Collectible images of Joan Baez, Mimi Farina, the Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company, Sons of Champlin, Elvin Bishop, Sammy Hagar, David Crosby, Neil Young, Green Day, The Fools, John Lee Hooker and Michael Franti are included in the exhibit. Posters and handbills from Pepperland, Mt. Tamalpais Amphitheater, the Fillmore, Winterland and more will also be on view

View the film: “Olompali, a Hippie Odyssey”
Visitors may view a film by Gregg Gibbs, narrated by Peter Coyote, titled “Olompai, a Hippie Odyssey.” With interviews, video, and classic photos, it chronicles the colorful history of the “Chosen Family,” the commune led by Don McCoy. Hosting informal concerts by the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and other native rock bands, Olompali was the genesis of the summer of love in 1967. Viewers will learn about the great utopian experiment that burned brightly and flamed out too quickly. Screening in the Second Floor Gallery. Last screening at 3pm, Wed-Fri, and 4pm Sat-Sun.

Panel Discussion: Rock On! Marin County's Psychedelic Rock Scene in the 60s: Stories, Photos, and Art + Live Q&A.
Watch the replay here
Music memories from Marin County’s rock music scene in the late 60s have been kept alive by four notable rock musicians, artists and history buffs who came together for a live streaming event. Paul Liberatore, Jay Blakesberg, Dave Getz and Jonathan Korty (who are also great friends) provided stories, photos and art from the explosion of psychedelic rock music in Marin County starting in 1966, the year before San Francisco would get on the map as the world’s hippie capital. Highlights from the live panel discussion include the in-person scoop from Dave Getz on Janis Joplin -- her pain, her joy and how they developed the style of raw psychedelic blues-rock that created a sensation in 1968; Jay Blakesberg’s story about his first mind-blowing trip to California at age 18, traveling from New Jersey on a Greyhound bus, to photograph the Grateful Dead at their New Year’s show in Oakland in 1979; and much more.

Check out the virtual tour here.
Experience the exhibit from the comfort of your home, while groovin' to our Marin Rock Spotify tunes! Get in the mood by listening to this playlist, curated by music expert Josh Birnbaum. It's a great soundtrack for memories of the rockin' years here in Marin.

The exhibit is sponsored by Bread & Roses, The Rock Poster Society, Mike’s Bikes, and Bruce Burtch. 20% of all art sales will be donated to Bread & Roses, a Marin-based non-profit which brings hope, healing and joy through live music to isolated residents of homeless shelters, correction facilities, health care centers and convalescent homes  in the SF Bay Area.

Tickets are $10 general admission and $8 for seniors and students. MarinMOCA members and children 12 and under are free.

Image credits:

Jay Blakesberg “Grateful Dead” photograph,1979

Ashleigh Sumner, “I See No Change” Mixed Media, 2018

Joan Baez, “David Crosby” 2019, Acrylic Painting

Bonnie MacLean, “1967-68 New Year’s Eve Poster Artwork” Print