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Jerry Cimino of "The Beat Museum" in Monterey California
announced recently he will be taking his act 'On The Road.'
According to Cimino, the concept is to have a kind of "Beat
Museum On Wheels," as a way to spread the message of
the Beat Generation to America without Americans having to
come to his location in Monterey.
"I envision the Beat Museum on Wheels as a way of continuing
to spread the message of the Beat Generation to America’s
youth and the population at large," notes Cimino, who
opened www.kerouac.com's Beat Museum in Monterey in 2003.
"I can see the Museum turning up at High Schools and
Colleges as well as Poetry Events, Festivals and other appearances
across the country. I can envision the Museum as a catalyst
for readings, discussion groups at bookstores, coffeehouses,
and other locales, encouraging the study of various Beat themes
and what it all meant (and still means) to America and the
world."
Cimino says his museum has entertained thousands of visitors
this first year - but while he has enjoyed the quiet coastal
life, "we want to do more to allow the many thousands
of people who aren’t able to make a trip to California’s
Central Coast to see our collection and learn more about the
story of the Beat Generation."
The idea for taking his show “On The Road” came
about after he received numerous emails from people who live
all over the country expressing their support of what the
Beat Museum is doing and their desire to visit - “someday.”
To get the Beat Museum on Wheels rolling, Cimino has already
acquired a classic Airstream motorhome. "The Airstream
345, with its beautiful streamlined retro look, is the perfect
vehicle to showcase the spirit of the 50’s and the Beat
Generation," he says. "This beautiful machine is
a real head-turner and will undoubtedly encourage interest
in and study of the Beats as the Museum travels around the
country." In the coming months he will be acquiring and
customizing a trailer to house the Beat Museum on Wheels.
Hopefully, says Cimino, the Beat Museum On Wheels will be
“On The Road” by late March or early April. "I
imagine we’ll tour California and the Southern states
first and then move northward in the summer and the fall,"
he says.
To hear more about Jerry Cimino's vision for The Beat Museum,
you can hear an NPR radio interview that ran in late 2003
by going to www.kerouac.com and clicking on the link that
is 2/3’s down the homepage. That's the address to click,
too, if you want to help Cimino out in any of a number of
organizational ways - or just write to him at jerry@kerouac.com
and include the words MUSEUM VOLUNTEER in the subject line.
The Beat Museum is located at 211 W. Franklin Street Monterey,
CA. |
