CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois is honoring a major moment in American music and agricultural history with its newest exhibit, Songs of Solidarity: The 1985 Farm Aid Concert, which opened August 29 and will run through March 15, 2026.
While few might associate Champaign-Urbana with rock and country music history, on September 22, 1985, Memorial Stadium was the site of the very first Farm Aid — a 14-hour concert featuring legends like Willie Nelson, Neil Young, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, and Bob Dylan, all performing to raise funds for American farmers during the height of the 1980s farm crisis.
A Community History Brought to Life
Curated by Dr. Daniel A. Gilbert, an Associate Professor of Labor and Employment Relations and History at the University of Illinois, the exhibit explores not only the concert but the broader movement it launched. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $70 million to support family farmers and promote sustainable agriculture.
Dr. Gilbert affirmed that “Farm Aid wasn’t just a concert. It connected art, activism, and agriculture in a way that deeply resonated with people. And the fact that it started right here in Champaign makes it an even more powerful story to tell.”
The exhibit emerged from a class at the University of Illinois originally taught by Dr. Kathryn J. Oberdeck, who died in 2022. Dr. Gilbert continued the “History Harvest” class after her passing – a public history project where students collect and digitize artifacts and documents from community members for preservation and exhibition.
The Champaign County History Museum (CCHM) partnered with the university and students to support the History Harvest event. Held in April in Memorial Stadium, the gathering drew dozens of participants who shared memories, photographs, and objects from that rainy concert day. “The students were incredible,” Gilbert said. “They planned and ran the History Harvest event at Memorial Stadium, interviewed attendees, digitized materials, and really brought this history to life. It was history made real for them—and for all of us.”
From ticket stubs and T-shirts to behind-the-scenes planning documents and protest signs, the exhibit combines the feeling of the concert with the struggle of family farmers facing foreclosure and economic ruin.
More Than Nostalgia
While the exhibit honors a legendary musical moment, its focus is rooted in social justice and activism. “This isn’t just a look back,” Gilbert said. “It’s a look forward, too. We want visitors to reflect on what it means to support farming communities today—how the issues of 1985 are still with us.”
The exhibit also features stories of those who received support from Farm Aid’s early fundraising, as well as reflections from students who helped design the exhibit. “The students pushed us to make sure we weren’t just showcasing the big-name performers,” Gilbert said. “They wanted to highlight the helpers – organizers and everyday concertgoers who believed in the cause.”
A Collaborative Future
Dr. Gilbert says he’s excited about the continued partnership with Spurlock and CCHM. “As historians, we often work in classrooms or archives,” he said. “But collaborating with museum professionals and our own community has opened new doors. There’s a hunger for this kind of public history—something accessible, emotional, and real.”
Songs of Solidarity: The 1985 Farm Aid Concert at the Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana. It is open through March 15, 2026. The opening reception is on Sunday, September 21, nearly 40 years to the day since the original concert. Admission is free. For more information: www.spurlock.illinois.edu.
