The Academy Museum has its Horror Show, and Halloween Horror Nights has its houses, but the California African American Museum has something special for fans of Sinners. The Los Angeles museum just opened an entire exhibit dedicated exclusively to Ryan Coogler’s film — more specifically, its music.
Presented in collaboration with the Warner Bros. Archives, Sinners: Sounds That Summon brings together costumes, props, and archival material from the making of the film to explore how “Black music carries memory, movement, style and spirit across generations. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the guitar played by Miles Caton as Sammie, alongside pieces like the costumes for Smoke and Stack, as well as the sign for Club Juke.
The exhibit explores its title across three themes: Music Makes Sounds, Music Makes Movement, and Music Makes Worlds. The first explores instruments through tradition and history, while the second examines “dance as an embodied form of cultural memory,” and the third shows how music extends beyond itself to create unique language, fashion, identity, and community.
The exhibit culminates in an interactive experience for museumgoers, called Sounds That Carry Us. Here, visitors can experience the joy and collective freedom represented by Club Juke and reflect on a sound, song, or genre that brings them hope, freedom, and community.
Curated by Imani Y. Haynes, Sinners: Sounds That Summon is open now through March 14, 2027 at the California African American Museum. For more information, you can check out their website.
