Multimedia exhibition finds sunglassed superstar recording “Blonde on Blonde,” touring the world with The Band, impacting pop culture with Andy Warhol.
TULSA, Okla. (March 3, 2026) — Bob Dylan Center announces its latest exhibition, “Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966,” opening Saturday, July 18 in the center’s Parker Brothers Gallery and running through January 31, 2027.
“Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966” is an immersive multimedia exhibition that captures the spectacle, power and fury of Dylan’s landmark year following his controversial electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
From his fall 1965 US concert dates with The Band, to the recording and release of “Blonde on Blonde” and the writing of his first novel, “Tarantula,” to the raucous and defiant 1966 World Tour, “Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966” features numerous never-before-seen manuscripts, photographs and newly restored film footage from the era.
Along the way, visitors will experience Dylan’s emergence as a cool and at times combative rock star, rubbing shoulders with the likes of The Beatles, The Stones, Marlon Brando, Françoise Hardy and Andy Warhol, who captured Dylan in two iconic yet seldom-seen screen tests. Visitors will be able to make their own screen tests by way of an interactive Screen Test Machine, on loan from The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
“The year following Newport is one of the most visually and musically exciting periods of Dylan’s long career,” says exhibition curator Mark Davidson. “With his wild hair, impenetrable sunglasses, and hip tailored suits, Dylan was unequaled in style and attitude. And yet, he bristled at being called a pop star, sparring with the press and audiences alike. It was Dylan and The Band against the world.”
Highlights include:
- Original “Blonde on Blonde” lyrics including “I Want You” and “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)”
- Original typescript drafts from “Tarantula” and associated writings from his mid-’60s oeuvre
- Never-before-seen photos and documents and footage from the 1966 World Tour
- Brand-new hourlong film program featuring never-before-seen footage and newly conducted interviews with key figures from the era including Jerry Schatzberg, Richard Alderson and Harvey Brooks
Center members are invited to preview the exhibition at an opening reception on Friday, July 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. Davidson will walk guests through the galleries, introduce the film program and demonstrate the Screen Test Machine
An additional opening weekend event for members and the public will be announced soon.
“Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966” is generously supported by Presenting Sponsors Bob and Debbie Russell.
For more information about the exhibition and related events, to become a member and to keep up to date on special events and ticket releases, visit bobdylancenter.com and subscribe to the newsletter.
