Kha Huynh believed she was merely going to observe the Ice Dawgs as they made their debut at their new arena. (A thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against the University of Tennessee, much appreciated.)

She certainly didn’t foresee a lesson in culture.

Huynh, visiting from Boston to see a high school friend, returned home with a deeper respect for Georgia’s music legacy, courtesy of the UGA Special Collections Libraries.

The 8,500-seat Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center debuted in December at the eastern boundary of downtown Athens. In addition to the Ice Dawgs, it also houses the new Athens Rock Lobsters from the Federal Prospects Hockey League, along with concerts and various events.

An engaging element of the Akins Ford Arena is the Georgia Music Collections exhibition that wraps around the building’s concourses.

On a massive video screen in the eastern concourse, B-52s icon and Athens resident Cindy Wilson greets fans, encouraging them to explore displays filled with memorabilia representing a century of Georgia music and honoring over 200 of the state’s musicians.

Displayed items include instruments, T-shirts, footwear, wigs, an array of photographs, and hundreds of posters and album covers. In addition to the displays, interactive components invite fans to engage more actively. Children (and the young at heart) can play a floor piano—akin to the one featured in the Tom Hanks classic film Big—while composing their own melodies.

“The Georgia Music Collections exhibit offers a unique chance to extend our work beyond campus and into the community, narrating the ongoing story of Georgia’s musical heritage.” — Ryan Lewis, Georgia music curator for the Special Collections Libraries

During an intermission of the Ice Dawgs’ Jan. 20 debut on Akins Ford Arena ice, Huynh explored the kiosks. She had only discovered the previous day that the B-52s originated in Athens and recognized the hit, “Love Shack,” but that was the extent of her familiarity with Classic City classics. She honed in on the kiosk titled “Making a Scene,” captivated by the avant-garde Mondrian-inspired design of Cindy Wilson’s garment.

“Literally two minutes ago, I was unaware of Athens music heritage,” Huynh stated. “Now I feel as if I’m part of the local music environment.”

Filling the Cases

A decade ago, Paul Cramer, director of The Classic Center Authority, envisioned an arena yet to be constructed. More than just a performance space, it would represent the entire Athens community. However, it wasn’t until a meeting with the UGA Special Collections Library that Cramer was inspired by the theme of Georgia music.

“There are Georgian artists who were pioneers in their genres,” notes Katie Williams ABJ ’07, vice president of sales, marketing, and tourism for The Classic Center. “Much of the music from our state paved the way for artistic movements that followed. To see these artifacts showcased again matters greatly to people.”

UGA obtained the majority of the music collection in 2011 when the Georgia Music Hall of Fame closed its doors. The partnership between the Libraries and The Classic Center to exhibit items from this collection in the new Athens arena began evolving even before its construction.

All that was required was a leader to spearhead the initiative.

“The Georgia Music Collections exhibit offers an exceptional opportunity to bring our work off campus and into the community, narrating the evolving narrative of Georgia music history,” remarks Ryan Lewis, Georgia music curator for the Special Collections Libraries. “We are linking people to our mission in a way that resonates with them.”

Aside from the extensive Hall of Fame collection, the Georgia Music Collections have expanded to include treasures such as James Brown’s cape, alongside notable items on loan, like Duane Allman’s guitar. There is enough memorabilia to populate the Akins Ford displays for five years.

The inauguration of the exhibition has genuinely been a labor of affection for Lewis, who was appointed in January 2023 to coordinate the initiative. He curated Spotify playlists tailored to the content of each display case. He crafted trivia questions for the interactive kiosk titled “Do You Know Georgia Music?” and collaborated with researchers to gather information about Georgia musicians that is showcased on an interactive digital table. With the arena now operational, Lewis conducts tours of the exhibition as part of Classic City’s Third Thursday events.

The Georgia Music Collections and Akins Ford Arena represent merely a small portion of the Special Collections Libraries’ complete holdings. Cindy Wilson herself, in concluding her greeting, invites guests to delve deeper into Georgia’s musical legacy by visiting the Libraries’ galleries.

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