Ray Benson 50 Years: Texas Music Collection

The Texas Music Collection at The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University houses an extensive archive of celebrated Southwestern musicians. The collection’s inaugural exhibit “Ray Benson 50 Years” showcases music and memorabilia collected over the career of the front man for the popular Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. The layered design features exposed steel trusses and a suspended lighting and sound grid, giving visitors the feeling of being in a sound studio or live concert venue. Strategically located display cases feature performance attire and musical instruments and are paired with interactive touchscreens with dedicated sound domes to allow guests to take a deeper dive into video and recorded material. Large scale screens augmented with speakers provide areas of atmospheric environment for an immersive media experience. The gallery design is flexibly zoned, offering the perfect venue to celebrate the diverse musical culture of Texas. McKinney York’s scope of design/build services included project management, exhibit planning and creative development, audiovisual design and specification, exhibit case specification, procurement, and installation.