On view October 14, 2010 - March 13, 2011

October 4, 2010 will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the most iconic female artists of the modern era, Janis Joplin. In recognition, the Museum of the Gulf Coast will display an original one-of-a-kind Neal Preston silkscreen of Janis Joplin. Measuring 9 feet tall, the image is taken from a photograph believed to be from Joplin’s performance at the Festival Express Concert in Toronto, Canada, not long before her untimely death on October 4, 1970. The silkscreen was once displayed in the now defunct Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annex in New York City. It comes from the private collection of Donald Hopkins and will remain on view at the Museum through March 13, 2011.

The silkscreen will go on view in conjunction with a book signing event for the newly released Janis Joplin, Rise up Singing at the Museum of the Gulf Coast on Thursday, October 14, 2010 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Forty years after her death, Janis Joplin remains among the most compelling and influential figures in rock-and-roll history. In this new biography for young adults, Joplin’s story—told with depth and sensitivity by author Ann Angel—is one of a girl who struggled against rules and limitations, yet worked diligently to improve as a singer. It’s the story of an outrageous rebel who wanted to be loved, and of a wild woman who wrote long, loving letters to her mom. And finally, it’s the story of one of the most iconic female musicians in American history that died at twenty-seven.

Published by Amulet Books, the book includes more than sixty photographs, some of which are from the collection at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, and an assortment of anecdotes from Janis’ friends and band mates. This thoroughly researched and well-illustrated biography is a must-have for all young artists, music lovers, and pop-culture enthusiasts. The book has been nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Young Audiences category. Ann Angel is a writer, journalist, and teacher in the Master of Arts in English program at Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With an emphasis in writing, Angel teaches Novel Writing, Writing and Teaching the Memoir, Research and Workshop in Short Fiction, and her favorite topic, writing for Children and Young Adults.

Prior to the book-signing, the author will speak about the book and the process of biography with a focus on the question of what is biography? Is it a portrait? An interpretation? A response to history? The presentation includes images of important political and national events paralleled to Janis's activities as well as Angel’s own typically small town life as a teenager in the 1960's.

“The teen responses to the times are from my perspective which I now realize were pretty innocent and idealistic,” says Angel. “They're juxtaposed with images of Janis in concert, psychedelic art, her album covers and her reviews from Rolling Stone and Time. At the end, I draw the themes together with Janis' quotes about living life without compromise and how that passion changed my own world and ideals. I talk about how her life as a woman who dared to be an individual and to rise to fame with her music influenced me to step away from the crowd, stop doing stuff just because it was "cool" but to focus on what were my own passions. She influenced me to become a writer and teacher. But her death was a cautionary tale for me. It kept me away from drugs.”

Return to Temporary Exhibits