John Mellencamp’s legacy is coming to Indiana University. In case you missed it, during the recent Mellencamp Symposium on the Bloomington campus, it was revealed that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer would gift his archives to the school.
Photographs, instruments, key mementos, and other items will be included in the collection, which will include not just his music and craftsmanship, but also his social involvement and generosity.
“John’s impact on music and American culture is immense,” IU President Pamela Whitten shares. “On behalf of Hoosiers everywhere, I am exceptionally proud of John’s lifelong association with IU and deeply grateful to him for selecting the university as the permanent home for his archives.” She adds, “His collection will be an incredible resource for arts scholars and a clear source of inspiration to our students. We are thrilled to honor him and celebrate his many contributions to music, art and IU.”
Mellencamp will be honored on the Bloomington campus with a sculpture that was recently commissioned to “symbolize Mellencamp’s profound connection to his southern Indiana roots.” The rocker’s paintings will be on display at Indiana University’s Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art beginning in the 2023-24 school year.