Touch of Jerry

Digital pieces by Grateful Dead icon Garcia on display at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Deadheads are well aware of the significance Aug. 9, 1995 plays into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame jam band’s history. Of course, that’s the day the San Francisco group’s cofounder, singer, guitarist and songwriter Jerry Garcia died.

Now, more than a quarter of a century later, the Rock Hall is examining Garcia’s artistic nature with a little bit of insight into his final days.

The 20-piece “An Odd Little Place: The Digital Works of Jerry Garcia (1992-1995)” exhibit is open through the winter at the downtown Cleveland attraction.

Chief Curator Nwaka Onwusa said the entire exhibit came together quickly after the Rock Hall was approached by YellowHeart, a marketplace for music, ticketing and community non-fungible tokens, aka NFTs.

“Because the business of NFTs (is) a very new phenomenon on how we’re receiving content, we thought it was really exciting and a unique moment to share something in addition to what we already know about Jerry Garcia, who, aside from being a fine artist, was creating artwork on his Mac computer,” Onwusa said.

“I’m sure he saved it on floppy disk. It’s really special. He was also just experimenting with art and technology.”

An early adopter of digital art, Garcia’s collection offers a glimpse into his passion and inspiration. The series, which also is available as a minted NFT collection, will consist of 17 pieces of original digital artwork and three additional designs that were found in the Garcia Archive in a folder labeled “Last 48 Hours.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME The friendly face of the late Jerry Garcia greets visitors to “An Odd Little Place: The Digital Works of Jerry Garcia (1992-1995)” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

COURTESY OF THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is hosting “An Odd Little Place: The Digital Works of Jerry Garcia (1992-1995).”