When the Georgia Music Hall of Fame shuttered in 2011, the future of its thousands of artifacts, sound recordings, instruments and documents representing the state’s rich musical heritage was uncertain. Located in downtown Macon, the 48,000-square-foot building that had served as the state’s official music museum since 1996 faced financial difficulties due to decreasing revenue and low attendance.
After the state legislature voted to cease funding the museum in 2010, the museum’s board of directors considered proposals for a new site from several cities—including Athens—yet none were accepted. Some items were distributed back to the owners who had loaned them, but the majority of the collection was handed to the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries for safekeeping.
Now, an array of these original artifacts can be seen in person at Akins Ford Arena, the Classic Center’s new state-of-the-art entertainment venue. Spanning from soul, R&B and country to rock and roll, new wave and hip hop, the exhibition spotlights iconic artists who were essential in shaping Georgia’s diverse musical legacy.

With the Georgia Museum Hall of Fame Collection as a cornerstone, the Special Collections Libraries have steadily grown their music holdings over the past decade by accepting donations and hunting down other special items to fill in any gaps within the collection. At the helm of this monumental endeavor is Georgia Music Collection Curator Ryan Lewis, a musician and avid fan who co-founded both Kindercore Records and the pressing plant Kindercore Vinyl. Serendipitously coming full circle, Lewis had once previously drafted a proposal for the museum to reopen under the same roof as his pressing plant.
To bring the archives to life, the Classic Center Authority and Special Collections Libraries collaborated with Terence Healy of HealyKohler Design, a nationally recognized firm that specializes in innovative exhibit designs that promote experiential learning. Installation of the Georgia Music Collections was made possible through $2.6 million in state funding, $2.7 million in private funding from the ELEVATE campaign and additional support granted by the Riverview Foundation.
Tall glass display cases organize materials by topic—think genres, fan culture, industry—and will rotate new items annually while keeping their themes. “Tools of the Trade,” for example, features interesting instruments such as the Swingin’ Medallions’ organ, Ricky Wilson’s double-neck guitar and a Gibson harp guitar from Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, who wrote for the Everly Brothers. Intended to spotlight different creative epicenters across the state, “Making a Scene” kicks things off with a bit of hometown pride by highlighting Athens from 1977–1982 as The B-52s, Pylon and R.E.M. began making waves.
“I’d argue with anyone that Athens is one of the more significant music places in Georgia,” says Lewis.

The crown jewel of the exhibition is Duane Allman’s 1961–1962 Gibson SG, his main slide guitar featured most famously on “Statesboro Blues” from The Allman Brothers Band’s live album At Fillmore East. Loaned by George Fontaine Sr. of New West Records and previously owned by Graham Nash (Crosby, Stills & Nash), this famed “One Brother to Another” guitar is one of the most valuable guitars ever sold at auction.
“It’s funny, the first time I ever saw that guitar was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019 in an exhibit of famous instruments, and I remember being like ‘whoa, that’s crazy,’ and now here I am having brought it into the collection and exhibiting it,” says Lewis.
In addition to the display classes, several interactive stations are spread throughout the arena. One station, “Setting the Stage,” invites participants to create their own virtual concert by customizing the venue, light show and instrumentation, while another station offers music buffs a chance to go head-to-head in 10-question rounds of Georgia music trivia. A giant floor piano will guide players as they stomp their way through single-note versions of OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson” and Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.”
Exhibited on the upper suite level of the arena, a collection of portraits originally published in photographer Jason Thrasher’s 2017 art book Athens Potluck introduces visitors to over 30 familiar faces from the local music community. Athens Potluck was recently featured through a large exhibition of images and memorabilia at the Special Collections Libraries on campus last fall.
“There are a lot of opportunities for people to wrap their heads around Georgia music,” says Lewis, who hopes people will take advantage of a 9.5-hour long Spotify playlist that can be scanned and taken home to enjoy.
By hosting the Georgia Music Collections, Akins Ford Arena not only pays homage to Georgia music history but strengthens Athens’ reputation as a music destination. As a large capacity venue not only welcoming touring national acts, but serving as the home base for professional hockey team The Rock Lobsters—who were named after a song by The B-52s—the arena leans into the city’s distinct identity to both entertain and educate visitors.
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