INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Music History Project has accepted the donation of a large, private collection valued at about $100,000. The collection was donated by former record store owner and co-founder of the Project’s parent nonprofit Rick Wilkerson.
The Indiana Music History Project is the primary initiative of Indiana Entertainment Foundation (IEF), an Indiana nonprofit whose mission is partially to preserve Indiana’s rich music history. Wilkerson currently serves as the IEF executive director. Wilkerson wanted the rare recordings and artifacts to stay in Indiana.
Wilkerson began collecting records as a teenager in the late 1960’s, later becoming an owner of two Indianapolis record stores, Missing Link Records (1993-2008) and Irvington Vinyl (2014-2018).
For the past 15 years, Wilkerson has actively collected Indiana recordings in all formats, amassing more than 1,500 different Indiana-related LP’s, more than 1,000 different Indiana-related 45’s, more than 1,000 Indiana compact discs, and hundreds of tapes, home demos, and 78’s. Wilkerson also has collected hundreds of Indiana concert posters and flyers. The entire collection has been donated to the Project.
Part of Wilkerson’s collection is currently on display at the Indiana State Library in an exhibit titled “Amazing Indiana Music Stories.” The exhibit runs through the end of March.
The Indiana Music History Project has also started digitizing audio and images to make the collection more accessible.