Delta Blues Save the Date & Press Release

DELTA BLUES MUSEUM TO HOST FREE EVENTS FOR
THE 25TH ANNUAL SUNFLOWER RIVER BLUES & GOSPEL FESTIVAL

Newest exhibits unveiled, panel discussions and performances held August 8 - 12, 2012

Wednesday, August 8th

5:30 pm - "True Delta" Screening at Delta Cinema, 11 Third Street, followed by panel discussion of "State of the Blues," moderated by Living Blues magazine co-founder Jim O'Neal. "True Delta" is a cinematic snapshot of the blues tradition in and around Clarksdale.

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Reception for "True Delta" photography exhibit at Delta Blues Museum, featuring photographs by Michael Scanlan taken from the film.

On display - "Celebrating 25 Years of the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival," a new exhibit, DBM galleries.

Thursday, August 9th

1:00 pm - Panel discussion: "25 Years of the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival," in the museum classroom. The panel will be moderated by Mississippi Blues Trail Historian Jim O'Neal, festival co-founder, and features Patty Johnson, festival co-founder; Catherine Clark, festival treasurer and volunteer since the beginning; and Melville Tillis, who co-founded the Gospel Festival with the late James Julius Guy. This is the inaugural program in the museum's "From theArchive" series and is financially assisted by the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Mississippi Humanities Council. It is also generously made possible by the Mississippi Arts Commission, Micheal Loyd Young and the Friends of the DBM.

6:00 pm Grits & Greens Party for VIP Festival Patrons, on DBM grounds

Friday, August 10th

10:00 am - Mississippi Blues Trail Marker dedication for the Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, on DBM grounds

4:00 pm Sunflower River Blues Festival begins

Saturday, August 11th

9:00 am - Sunflower Festival performances begin

	Charlie Musselwhite and the Museum Band in the Muddy Waters Addition

Sunday, August 12th

Noon - 5:00 pm - DBM open, special hours for Sunflower Festival Weekend ($7 admission)

2:00 pm - Fundraiser for the DBM Arts & Education Program, featuring Charlie Musselwhite, Lightnin' Malcolm and others at the Juke Joint Chapel, Shack Up Inn [donation required].

5:00 pm - Gospel Festival begins, on the DBM stage

About the Delta Blues Museum

The Delta Blues Museum is dedicated to creating a welcoming place where visitors find meaning, value, and perspective by exploring evolution of the unique American musical art form of the Blues. The City of Clarksdale, located at the intersection of Highways 61 and 49 ("the crossroads"), and the surrounding Delta region are known as "the land where the Blues began." Since its creation, the Delta Blues Museum has preserved, interpreted, and encouraged a deep interest in the story of the Blues. Established in 1979 by the Carnegie Public Library Board of Trustees and re-organized as a stand-alone museum in 1999, the Delta Blues Museum is the state's oldest music museum. The Delta Blues Museum classroom hosts a year-round music education program as well as lectures and symposia. The Delta Blues Museum Stage, adjacent to the museum, serves as the main venue for local festivals such as the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in August and the Juke Joint Festival in April.

Through its newly launched DEEPER ROOTS campaign, the museum's permanent collection will be augmented with items and artifacts on loan from artists and collectors from around the world. New and expanded exhibits--some to be housed in the museum's new 7,300 sq. foot Muddy Waters Addition--will utilize film, video and music. Listening stations and interactive kiosks will offer visitors a chance to hear the music created by these artists and follow its development from Africa to modern day. To find out more about DEEPER ROOTS online, visit www.deltabluesmuseum.org/deeperroots or contact the Museum Director for details.

Shelley Ritter, Director

For more information on events or programs contact the Delta Blues Museum 662-627-6820.
The Delta Blues Museum is located at #1 Blues Alley in downtown Clarksdale.

This newsletter is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and, in part, from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.