EXHIBITIONS
Exhibitions featuring Jay’s body of work that celebrate the unique experience of photographing legendary musicians along with the fan communities and relationships that surround and propel them, exclusively using film cameras.
current EXHIBITION
Nov 8, 2024 - June 15, 2025
GRAMMY Museum
Explore 30 years of music history, from blues, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll to hip-hop and alternative music, through the lens of photographer Jay Blakesberg.
Featuring more than 150 photographs shot on film between 1978 and 2008, RetroBlakesberg captures three decades of pivotal moments in music history. The dynamic exhibit showcases multiple genres and iconic musicians, ranging from Snoop Dogg, B-40, and Bob Dylan to PJ Harvey, Pearl Jam, and the Grateful Dead. Renowned photographer Jay Blakesberg was originally inspired by the Grateful Dead, whom he followed around the country as a teenager, capturing their live shows with his camera.
Inspired by his experience, he moved from New Jersey to San Francisco to become part of the city’s vibrant music scene, which he’s photographed for more than 30 years. RetroBlakesberg reflects his remarkable body of work, from live performances to portraits to album and magazine covers.
RetroBlakesberg:
THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED
CURRENT & PAST EXHIBITIONS
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RetroBlakesberg: the music never stopped
The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
August 2023 - January 2024Jay’s second solo museum exhibition – curated by Ricki Blakesberg.
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Between the Dark & Light: Grateful Dead 1965-1995
Haight Street Art Center, San Francisco, CA
July - August 2023Historic Grateful Dead photography exhibit curated by Jay, featuring the work of twenty different photographers.
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SFO Celebrates – Music in Golden Gate Park
San Francisco International Airport - Terminal 3, San Francisco, CA
August - September 2023 | August - September 2022Terminal 3 is displaying of several photographs in a themed exhibit about Rock and Roll in Golden Gate Park.
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RetroBlakesberg: Captured on Film – 1978-2008
Morris Museum – Smithsonian Affiliate, Morristown, NJ
October 2022 - February 2023Jay Blakesberg’s first solo museum exhibition – curated by Ricki Blakesberg.
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DARK+Light: Retrospective by Jay Blakesberg
Harvey Milk Center for Photography, San Francisco, CA
November 2016 - January 2017A retrospective exhibition of Jay’s iconic photography taken on and off stage over the last 40 years.
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Traveling on a High Frequency – Solo Exhibition
Mr. Musichead Gallery, Hollywood, CA
March 2010Traveling On a High Frequency is a 304 page coffee table book of pure rock and roll intensity created where light and motion, energy and magic all collide together and crystallize on a piece of film.
