Delta Blues Press Release

July 25, 2022

DELTA BLUES MUSEUM

Clarksdale, Mississippi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Delta Blues Museum Installing New Permanent Exhibits

Latest phase of new exhibit designs to be unveiled in early August

[Clarksdale, Mississippi - JULY 25, 2022] - Beginning this week, Delta Blues Museum will install its much-anticipated, new permanent exhibits designed in collaboration with Louisville-based Solid Light, Inc. The Museum will close for the installation beginning Thursday, July 28th and will reopen on Monday, August 8th at 10:00 am.

Working in close collaboration with the design firm, Delta Blues Museum Director Shelley Ritter has overseen the project from its inception, working to create a fuller educational story of the history of the Blues and its artists by utilizing modern exhibit materials and functionality. "It is exciting to see design ideas come to fruition, to see artist renderings become reality in our gallery," Ritter offers, adding, "We hope visitors will be just as excited to see how we're telling the story of the Blues in new ways."

Of this latest phase of their ongoing design work, Solid Light project manager Jackson King says, "The exhibits will tell deeper stories of some of the most influential artists in Blues history and more. We at Solid Light are honored to be involved in telling the history and story of the living Blues in the place of its birth."

Fundraising for the new exhibits has been ongoing and continues. This latest exhibit installation was made possible by state funding from HB 1730 and SB 2969. Museum Board Chair Dr. William Booker appreciates the support of investing in the state's first music museum, recognizing Senator Robert Jackson, Representative Orlando Paden "and other Mississippi state leaders who see the importance of funding these new exhibits to further our mission and expand our reach."

Music fans attending the 34th annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival in downtown Clarksdale are encouraged to visit the Museum and celebrate the sounds of the Festival performed live on the Delta Blues Museum stage from August 12th to 14, 2022. Museum tickets may be purchased online or by calling 662-627-6820.

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.