MIM is hosting a weekend-long Alice Cooper celebration
The Musical Instrument Museum will celebrate the music of Alice Cooper with a weekend of special events planned in conjunction with Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers in Phoenix and Mesa.
The museum has hosted a dedicated Alice Cooper exhibit in the United States / Canada Gallery since 2012. It was originally part of a larger project to celebrate Arizona’s centennial anniversary of statehood, representing a wide variety of Arizona musical history, and has remained a very popular exhibit with museum guests.
The museum’s curator for the United States and Canada, Rich Walter, sees it as an important exhibit “not simply because of Alice Cooper’s unique career and iconic status worldwide, but also because his ties to Phoenix make his success a point of pride for so many local audiences, including those of us at MIM. “
The exhibit includes a 1965 Cortez High School yearbook with photos of the Earwigs, which featured Cooper, then Vince Furnier, on vocals, alongside fellow future members of the Alice Cooper group Glen Buxton on guitar and Dennis Dunaway on bass.
The items on display are on generous loan from Cooper, Dunaway and local music historian John Dixon.
“They definitely portray the early days – Earwigs, Spiders, original Alice Cooper group era – but the combination of stage wardrobe and props, video monitor content and other objects also helps people connect to the full ‘Alice Cooper’ persona that he continues to present to live audiences,” Walter says.
The Alice Cooper exhibit is intentionally next to one featuring Mike Condello and the music performed on “The Wallace and Ladmo Show.”
“In that way,” Walter says, “we can il
lustrate a crucial hometown influence on Alice Cooper’s own eventual career and it gives clear context to how the ideas of music, theater, parody and entertainment shock value could have been inspirational to a creative teenager growing up in Phoenix at the time.”
MIM curator praises Alice Cooper for supporting a new generation
Walter sees this weekend’s signature event as “a special opportunity for us to spotlight someone who is an undeniable pioneer in the music industry, a local Phoenix legend, and perhaps most importantly someone who is so actively involved in supporting the creative aspirations of new generations of artists.”
The MIM has worked closely with the Solid Rock Teen Centers founded by Alice and Sheryl Cooper on this event.
Walter says the museum is “really excited to draw attention to the resources and professional-level training they have made available to young people throughout the Valley.”
Countless artists have achieved fame and popularity, he adds. “But few of them have demonstrated such an absolute and demonstrable commitment to the encouragement education and wellbeing of their local communities as Alice Cooper. We can’t wait to hear some of the talented young musicians who have been inspired by him and who have learned their skills through Solid Rock.”
Here’s what to expect at Celebrate the Music of Alice Cooper
All activities take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12, unless otherwise noted.
Craft: Alice Cooper Top Hat
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
South El Río
Make your own Alice Cooper top hat and look like a rock star.
Photo Booth
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
El Río
Have your picture taken in the MIM’s hands-free photo booth. Digitally share your pictures and tag the museum with
#MIMphx for a chance to be featured on MIM’s social media.
Gallery Talk Q&A: Alice Cooper 10:30–11 a.m.
United States / Canada Gallery
Join MIM curator for United States / Canada, Rich Walter, as he discusses the stories behind the exhibit.
Film: “Juxtapose“
11-11:30 a.m.
Music Theater
Take a seat and watch a short film following the unexpected union of two very different genres as a mariachi act enters and ultimately wins Alice Cooper’s youth music competition, Proof Is in the Pudding.
Panel Discussion: What Is It Like to Work in the Music Industry?
11:45-12:45 p.m.
Event Room 2
Interested in knowing more about the music industry? Attend this engaging panel discussion featuring industry professionals sharing their knowledge
of the field and learn from their firsthand accounts of navigating a career in music.
Znora
1:15-2 p.m.
North El Rio
Rock out with the 2023 winners of Alice Cooper’s youth music competition, Proof Is in the Pudding, and take in this guitar-driven trio’s bluesy psychedelic rock.
Electric Guitar Workshop: Conrad Varela & Znora
2:15-3:45 p.m.
Event Room 2
Strum along with electric guitar virtuoso Conrad Varela and members of rock band Znora in this interactive beginners’ workshop.
The Sintrics
3:15–4 p.m. Saturday
North El Rio
Enjoy a lively performance from upand-coming rock band the Sintrics, 2021 winners of Alice Cooper’s Proof Is in the Pudding contest
Mariachi Juvenil de mi Tierra 3:15–4 p.m., Sunday
Watch 2017 winners of Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding youth music competition, Mariachi Juvenil de mi Tierra, perform music featured in the short film Juxtapose.
Celebrate the Music of Alice Cooper
When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 11-12.
Where: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix.
Admission: Free with museum admission; $20 general admission; $15 ages 13-19; $10 ages 4-12.
Details: 480-478-6000, mim.org.