RMIT and Mushroom team up for exhibition: 40 Years of Mushroom & Melbourne’s Music Culture

RMIT Gallery, Mushroom and the Bank Of Melbourne have teamed up to present Music, Melbourne + Me: 40 Years of Mushroom & Melbourne’s Music Culture, an exhibition highlighting the past forty years of Melbourne’s music culture, with a special spotlight on Mushroom Records, undeniably a vital aspect of the city’s rich musical heritage.

The exhibition has been curated by RMIT Gallery Director and Chief Curator Suzanne Davies; Program Director of the B.A. Music Industry at RMIT Melbourne, Dr Kipps Horn; and Michael Gudinski, CEO of the Mushroom Group. It will feature many items from Mushroom’s vaults, plus pieces from the personal collections of Gudinski, Molly Meldrum, Kylie Minogue, the Finn brothers, and numerous others.

RMIT Gallery Director Suzanne Davies states of the exhibition: “Melbourne is Australia’s home of live music and over the past 40 years, live music venues, fashion and all other aspects of fandom and celebrity have become integral to the lives of many Melburnians – something this exhibition will celebrate.”

Michael Gudinski, who was awarded Melburnian of the Year in 2012, adds: “I’ve been approached by numerous organisations in the past to put together an exhibition of the Mushroom memorabilia, but for various reasons it never felt right until now.

“After 40 years in the business I wanted to be able to give something back to the music fans of Melbourne. RMIT Gallery have a superb venue and Suzanne Davies, Dr Kipps Horn and the RMIT Gallery staff have been incredibly supportive since our first meeting to discuss this idea.

“I’m incredibly proud of the many achievements and success of the Mushroom Group artists and companies. Likewise so many Melbourne artists have also achieved success both nationally and internationally and it seems only fitting to have many of them represented in this exhibition at RMIT Gallery.

“Melbourne is certainly one of the greatest cities in the world to enjoy music and this exhibition is a great way to celebrate the past and preview the future.”

Music, Melbourne + Me: 40 Years of Mushroom & Melbourne’s Music Culture runs from November 19 ’til March 3, 2014 (11am-5pm Monday-Friday, 11am-7pm Thursdays, noon-5pm on weekends). Admission is free.