Delta Blues Press Release

July 23, 2020

DELTA BLUES MUSEUM RECEIVES MISSISSIPPI DELTA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA GRANT

Clarksdale, Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Clarksdale, Mississippi - July 23, 2020] -- Delta Blues Museum is the recipient of a $8,085 grant from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area (MDNHA). For a fifth year, MDNHA has awarded more than $200,000 in grants for 12 projects focused on cultural heritage development in communities across the Mississippi Delta.

The funded work focuses on MDNHA's themes, ranging from the culture of the Delta blues and its influence on American music to the rich natural history and resources of the land and water of the Mississippi River and Delta. Delta Blues Museum was awarded funds to support the creation of an exhibit and accompanying website feature that will chronicle the history of the founding and development of Jackson-based Trumpet Records by Lillian McMurry and the success of its Delta-based artists.

Museum Director Shelley looks forward to unveiling the completed project to the public, adding, "We are excited to have the opportunity to share the history of Trumpet Records and the amazing woman behind it: Lillian Shedd McMurry--with no prior experience in the music industry--opened a record store, launched a record label, and ran a recording studio where she produced, promoted, and engineered many Blues classics by artists such as Elmore James, Big Joe Williams, and Sonny Boy Williamson. We are grateful to the Mississippi Delta National Heritage area for making it possible for us to tell her important story."

MDNHA grants support learning opportunities for students, museums, documentary films, and the historic preservation of Delta landmarks. "Inspired by our partnership with the National Park Service and our membership with the Alliance of National Heritage Areas, we continue our work building and expanding a network of community resources and organizations that are promoting diverse engagement with Mississippi Delta cultural heritage," stated Dr. Rolando Herts, executive director of the MDNHA and director of The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, which serves as the management entity for MDNHA.

About the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area
The MDNHA includes 18 counties that contain land located in the alluvial floodplain of the Mississippi Delta: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo. The MDNHA was designated by U.S. Congress in 2009 and is governed by a board of directors representing agencies and organizations defined in the congressional legislation. More information about the MDNHA, including the complete approved management plan, is available at www.msdeltaheritage.com.

The mission of The Delta Center for Culture and Learning is to promote greater understanding of Mississippi Delta culture and history and its significance to the world through education, partnerships, and community engagement. The Delta Center serves as the management entity of the MDNHA and is the home of the International Delta Blues Project and the National Endowment for the Humanities "Most Southern Place on Earth" workshops. For more information, visit www.deltacenterdsu.com.

About the Delta Blues Museum
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 Mississippi's first music museum. A 2013 recipient of the IMLS National Medal for Museum and Library Services--the nation's highest honor for museum and library service to the community--and a 2014 recipient of the National Arts & Humanities' Youth Program Award, the Delta Blues Museum is dedicated to creating a welcoming place where visitors find meaning, value and perspective by exploring the history and heritage of the unique American musical art form, the Blues. The Museum is also recognized as a Great River Road Interpretive Center. For more information on events or programs, please call (662) 627-6820, or visit the Museum web site at www.deltabluesmuseum.org.

Members of the press may register in the Press Room on the Museum's website to access further information, downloadable images and related materials.

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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.

This site is made possible through support from the Mississippi Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Rock River Foundation.