The Morgan Library & Museum presents Woody Guthrie: People Are the Song, running through Sunday, May 22. Curated in collaboration with the Woody Guthrie Center, Woody Guthrie Publications, and music historian Bob Santelli, the exhibition tells the story of the great American troubadour and writer Woody Guthrie in his own words and by his own hand. On view is an extraordinary selection of musical instruments, handwritten lyrics, manuscripts, photographs, books, art, and audiovisual media, assembled from the preeminent holdings of the Woody Guthrie Archive and several private collections. Prominent among these rarely seen objects are the original, handwritten lyrics to This Land Is Your Land, one of the worlds most famous protest songs, which Guthrie composed just a few blocks away from the Morgan in 1940. More than 80 years later, this song remains enduringly popular, as Guthries words maintain a vital relevance today. The exhibit traces Guthries life and career through his artistic response to several interrelated themes: place, politics, family, love, and spirituality. Running through these themes is an emphasis on Guthries connection to people, to specific people in his life, historical figures of his era, and the anonymous workers, soldiers, and immigrants whose stories appear in so much of his music. Songs like My Thirty Thousand, Deportee, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard, and Union Maid express Guthries outrage at the racial and labor injustices experienced by his fellow Americans, while lyrics to Ingrid Bergman and Joe DiMaggio speak to his interest in prominent figures of the 1940s and the compelling stories of their lives. An icon of the Depression era and the author of more than 3,000 folk songs, Woody Guthrie (191267) is one of the most influential songwriters and recording artists in American history. But he was not only a songwriter, and his subject matter extended well beyond labor politics. The full corpus of his creativity, including lyrics, poetry, artwork, and largely unpublished prose writings, encompassed topics such as the environment, love, spirituality, family, and racial justice. Guthrie developed a personal philosophy that has impacted generations of Americans and inspired musician-activists from Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen to Ani DiFranco and Chuck D. As Bob Dylan noted of Guthrie, You could listen to his songs and actually learn how to live. An array of engaging public programs will accompany the exhibition. To learn more, visit www.themorgan.org.