The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has acquired the complete archives of Lou Reed .
The library and Reed's wife, musician Laurie Anderson, made the announcement Thursday, on what would have been his 75th birthday. The Lou Reed Archive features paper and electronic records, photos, and about 3,600 audio and 1,300 video recordings.
"What better place to have this than in the heart of the city he loved the best?" said Anderson.
Reed, an aspiring poet, rose to prominence after Andy Warhol encountered The Velvet Underground, the experimental rock band he formed in 1964. Warhol produced the band's first studio album and invited it to perform as part of his recurring multimedia event, The Exploding Plastic Inevitable.
After leaving The Velvet Underground in 1970, Reed enjoyed success as a solo artist, releasing nearly 30 albums and publishing several volumes of poetry and photography, according to the library.
"He paved the way for the punk and glam rock of the '70s, inspired the use of noise and experimental techniques in pop music, and later explored ambient sound and music for meditation," it said in a statement.
The library will host free displays and public programs over the next two weeks to celebrate and showcase Reed's life and work, and his collection's new home.
Changes Afoot For Cannes Lions 2025, Including Increasing Festival Access For Underserved Communities
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is putting plans in motion for its 72nd edition, set to take place from June 16-20, 2025 in Cannes, France. The Festival has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m (some $2,150,000) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.
Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry.” Starling added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognize the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritizing increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on December 5, 2025. More details can be found here.
With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on January 16, 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, global... Read More