Rebel Music: Women of Color Who Changed the Beat

PAST MUSEUM EXHIBITION

February 21–May 8, 2026

Joliet Area Historical Museum
204 N. Ottawa St., Joliet, Illinois

Presented by Black & Brown Femme Films
in collaboration with the
Joliet Area Historical Museum.

The Rebel Music museum exhibition celebrated the overlooked
women of color who transformed music, challenged cultural boundaries, and
helped shape generations of artists through rock, punk, funk, soul,
experimental music, and more.

About the Rebel Music Museum Exhibition

Rebel Music: Women of Color Who Changed the Beat brought
together visual art, historical interpretation, music, film, and
interactive experiences at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

The exhibition featured archival imagery, interpretive displays,
interactive elements, and life-sized installations inspired by the
distinctive styles of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton,
Grace Jones, Yoko Ono, Tina Bell, Poly Styrene, Alejandra Guzmán,
and other groundbreaking musicians.

Many of these artists helped create or transform genres long before
receiving proper recognition. Tina Bell, for example, fronted the
early Seattle band Bam Bam and is now recognized as an important
pioneer of the sound that developed into grunge.

Designed with the mood and colors of an underground music club, the
exhibition invited visitors to experience music history as something
vibrant, personal, and alive. It also examined how race and gender
influenced whose stories became part of mainstream music history.

“Rebel Music is about giving credit where culture forgot to look.”

— Vici Howard, BBFF Founder and Executive Director

Opening Night and Ribbon Cutting

The exhibition opened on February 21, 2026, with a community
celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Representatives from BBFF,
the Joliet Area Historical Museum, and the surrounding community
gathered to mark the opening.

OPENING-NIGHT FILM

Rebel Music, 1000 Songs on Route 66

The evening included a screening of BBFF’s original short
documentary inspired by founder Vici Howard’s memories of family
road trips along Route 66.

Through archival footage, interviews, narration, and personal
storytelling, the film connected those memories with the histories
of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton, Grace Jones,
Alejandra Guzmán, and other influential musicians.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

Documentary Q&A

Following the screening, BBFF hosted a live Q&A featuring museum
representatives and members of the community. The conversation
explored musical legacy, cultural recognition, representation, and
the importance of preserving stories often excluded from the
historical record.

Lyrics & Lattes

FEBRUARY 28, 2026

An Interactive Rebel Music Experience

Guests gathered over coffee and pastries for music-themed trivia,
singalongs, lyric games, guided participation, and a multimedia
presentation celebrating women of color in music.

“What’s the Hidden Meaning?” invited participants to explore the
cultural messages behind familiar lyrics. Guests also received
access to a curated playlist so the music and stories could continue
beyond the museum.

Together, the documentary screening, community Q&A, and
Lyrics & Lattes expanded the Rebel Music museum exhibition
beyond its physical displays through film, conversation, memory,
play, and shared experience.

From The Vibe to Joliet

Rebel Music grew from The Vibe, BBFF’s larger
immersive museum experience celebrating the creativity and cultural
influence of women of color through music, film, visual art, fashion,
literature, and storytelling.

After encountering the larger exhibition, Joliet Area Historical
Museum membership and outreach coordinator H’Aeneise Coopwood helped
bring the music installation to Joliet.

Originally planned for a shorter run, the exhibition was extended and
remained on view through May 8, 2026. Spanning Black History Month and
Women’s History Month, it created space for visitors to discover
overlooked artists and reconsider familiar music history.

The exhibition was supported in part by the
Illinois Arts Council and
Healing Illinois.

Inside the Exhibition

Explore scenes from Rebel Music, including artist-inspired
installations, archival displays, and moments shared with visitors
throughout the exhibition.