Smithsonian American Art Museum
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC
On view are over 100 pieces of musical ephemera made between 1965 and 1979 by a self-taught Washington, D.C., artist known only as Mingering Mike. These “vinyl” LP albums (made from painted cardboard), original album art, song lyrics and liner notes, and 45-rpm singles reveal the artist’s youthful fantasy of being a famous soul singer/songwriter. The exhibition offers a window on a historical moment when D.C. played a pivotal role in music history.
