The Fender Museum of the Arts Foundation was formed in 1997 by members of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation, the community of Corona, California and others from the Southern California area. The focus of the group was twofold, to spotlight Fender as one of the leading forces in the evolution of modern music, the other was to offer free performing arts education to children. Today these goals are becoming a reality.

    Fender Musical Instruments have been a part of Southern California since 1946. When Fender released its first solid body electric guitar, it knocked the musical industry on its ear! No one knew quite what to think of this new invention. The "Boat Paddle", as some people called it, soon became very popular. That first guitar, now known as the Telecaster, took the guitar from a background instrument to an "in your face" lead instrument. The music world would never be the same! From Buddy Holly to Kurt Cobain, from Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys to Marty Stuart, the Telecaster, it's sister the Stratocaster, and the rest of the Fender family of instruments and amplifiers, have helped sculpt the last half of the twentieth century. This history makes for a wonderful exhibition of sound, form and color in the in the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts Preview and Education Center in Corona, California.

    In addition to showcasing Fender's colorful contribution to the world, the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts Preview and Education Center offers free performing arts education to children in the region. Currently the center is giving lessons in guitar, piano, bass, drums, violin and combo band. A Mariachi program is currently in the planning stages, and within the next year the plans are to expand the free classes to include other musical instruments as well as voice, dance and drama.

    Over 400 children per week currently take advantage of these free educational opportunities. The funding for these performing arts lessons have been provided through the generous support of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, the California Arts Council, Southern California Edison, Edison International, Pacific Bell, Riverside Community College, Wells Fargo, Boeing, the Riverside Community Foundation and many other companies and individuals who support arts education. Other benefactors are constantly being sought for future sessions.

    The issue of performing arts education for children is of critical importance to all involved with this project. Our public schools are constantly being challenged financially. They have a limited number of resources available to them and yet they have a monumental task to achieve children. Choices have to be made. Unfortunately, arts education is usually on the losing end of those choices. Despite the fact that studies have shown that arts education improves a child's ability to learn academically, arts education is still usually the first thing to get cut when money gets tight. Just like a well balanced diet of food is necessary to have a healthy body, a well balanced diet of academia an art is necessary to have a healthy spirit. The arts nurture the soul.

    The current Preview and Education Center exhibits are just a taste of what will fill the future museum. From Kurt Cobain's hand drawn cardboard templates of his original Jagstang, to the 1964 checkerboard bound, ground glass finish Telecaster made for Buck Owens, the exhibits are exciting and rare.

    The permanent home of the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year 2000. Its' exhibits will celebrate the performing arts, in all of their culturally diverse forms, as well as spotlighting Fender's colorful contributions for the last fifty-plus years.

    Come on out and visit us! Experience the past, present and future under one roof! If we don't support the performing arts, who will? Remember, in a perfect world ... Kids Rock Free!