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MISSISSIPPI
News
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NEWS (Cities & Towns Follow the News)
Natchez Blossoms with Events This Spring - Highlights include Car Fest and a Month-Long Music Celebration
Historic Natchez Foundation Welcomes New Exhibit Honoring Globally Distinguised Natchez Artists
Juke Joint Festival Events, Launches "Deeper Roots" Campaign
CLARKSDALE
What to See & Do
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 oldest music museum and the nation's first museum dedicated to the American art form known as the Blues. 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-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.
For more information on events or programs, please call (662) 627-6820, or visit the Museum web site at www.deltabluesmuseum.org. The Museum is located at 1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, MS 38614
About Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield--better known as Muddy Waters--is one of the most powerful forces behind American music today. Muddy was born on April 4th, 1913, in the Delta near Rolling Fork, Mississippi, and later moved to Clarksdale, where he worked and lived on Stovall Plantation. The son of a talented bluesman, Muddy taught himself to play bottleneck slide guitar as a teen; a chance recording with Alan Lomax inspired Muddy to become a full-time musician.
Playing with Son Sims around the Mississippi Delta, in Memphis and in St. Louis, Muddy eventually found his musical home in Chicago, where he signed with Chess Records and changed the game by electrifying the blues. He scored 15 hits in the 1950s alone, effectively creating the sound known as "Chicago blues," a sound that immediately resonated with aspiring young musicians like Paul Butterfield and Johnny Winter. Muddy took his amplified sound overseas to Europe, where his musical shockwaves started a revolution that continues today, through the artists he influenced-most notably Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and The Rolling Stones, who took their name from a Muddy Waters song.
Only at the Delta Blues Museum can visitors "Follow Muddy" and learn more about Muddy Waters' musical journey through an interactive educational feature available online, and only at the Delta Blues Museum can guests see Muddy's actual cabin from Stovall Plantation--the remains of which have been preserved and housed in the Delta Blues Museum's Muddy Waters Addition.
LOCATION: Delta Blues Museum, 1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, MS 38614
River Blues and Gospel Festival Sunflower exhibit
An exhibit of posters that spans the entire 27 years of the annual Clarksdale event. Lots of names, lots of color, lots of archival photos, lots of memories - an eyeful of blues history in a collection of Festival ephemera that are now a valuable record of blues performers and performances.
Give My Poor Heart Ease
This exhibit features photos from the book of the same name by pioneering southern folklorist William Ferris who toured Mississippi in the '60s and '70s, documenting African-Americans as they spoke about and performed the diverse musical traditions that form the authentic roots of the blues. Here are the stories of blues musicians who represent a wide range of musical traditions--from one-string instruments, bottle blowing, and banjo to spirituals, hymns, and prison work chants. The book comes with a DVD of rare film of Delta life in the early ''70s and a CD of music from the same period. Buy from our Gift Shop here.
GIFT SHOP
Shop for great blues stuff here. All proceeds benefit the Museum.
New Wing at the Delta Blues Museum
The Muddy Waters Addition, encompassing 7,000 square feet features a two-story wing that houses new permanent exhibits and showcases the remains of the cabin from Stovall Farms, where McKinley Morganfield (aka Muddy Waters) grew up. Using the museum's collection of artifacts, the exhibits in the wing feature the history of Clarksdale's blues culture, as told by the musicians and the music they created.
Since 1999, the Delta Blues Museum has been housed in the historic freight depot, located just across from Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Clarksdale. The newest addition was designed to complement the depot structure, which was built in 1918 for the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. The museum building was designated as a Landmark Property in 1996. Belinda Stewart Architects are the design lead for the new construction, which will cost approximately $1.4 million. Museum Director Shelley Ritter oversees fundraising for the project, which is being supported by the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the City of Clarksdale, the Chisholm Foundation and private donors.
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 Stage is adjacent to the museum classroom, which hosts a year-round music education program as well as lectures and symposia.
For more information about the Museum or its programs, please call (662) 627-6820, or visit the Museum web site at www.deltabluesmuseum.org.
Delta Blues Museum Announces Juke Joint Festival Events, Launches "Deeper Roots" Campaign
In addition to planned Juke Joint Festival events, the museum officially launched its DEEPER ROOTS campaign for new and expanded exhibits. The DEEPER ROOTS campaign aims to raise $1.2 million designated to expand current exhibits and create new installations. Museum Director Shelley Ritter explains, "Funds raised through DEEPER ROOTS will enable the museum to offer a more enriching experience for our visitors, with enhanced exhibits that feature the history of Clarksdale's Blues culture, as told by the musicians and the music they created."
NATCHEZ
About Natchez
Natchez, Mississippi, located 90 miles north of Baton Rouge, is quickly becoming a sought-after cultural tourism destination. Attracting over 660,000 visitors annually from around the world, Natchez is known for its culture and history, offering more antebellum houses than any other location in the United States. It is also the Bed and Breakfast Capital of the South, and 'The Biscuit Capital of the World.' In 2016, the city will mark its 300th anniversary, making it the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River. Natchez's evolution over 300 years has provided an astounding array of ways to discover
Natchez, Mississippi, located 80 miles north of Baton Rouge, is quickly becoming a sought-after cultural tourism destination. Attracting over 670,000 visitors annually from around the world, Natchez is known for its culture and history, offering more antebellum structures than any other location in the United States. It is also the Bed and Breakfast Capital of the South, and "The Biscuit Capital of the World." Natchez is one of the oldest continuous settlements on the Mississippi River and its evolution over 300 years has provided an astounding array of ways to discover and enjoy southwest Mississippi. For more information about Natchez, visit www.visitnatchez.org or call 800-647-6724.
Natchez Blossoms with Events This Spring - Highlights include Car Fest and a Month-Long Music Celebration
With the winter months in the rearview mirror, Natchez, Mississippi welcomes visitors to taste, see, smell and listen to the sounds of spring this season with a number of upcoming events – a sampling of which can be found below. A full calendar of events is available at www.visitnatchez.org.
Spring Pilgrimage, March 14 – April 14
Visitors of Natchez are invited to experience what is regarded as one of the must-do events in the city. The Spring Pilgrimage encompasses a variety of unique experiences and locations including the massive Longwood, Rosalie and Stanton Hall Antebellum homes. Participants also have the option to attend captivating garden tours, evening soirees, blues and jazz musical performances, paranormal tours, and even tea parties. All providing an insightful glimpse into the city’s past.
Natchez Euro Fest, April 3 – 4
The fifth annual show takes place from April 3 – 4 and will take place on the grounds of the iconic Rosalie Mansion and feature several cars and motorcycles on display. This free, fun, family event held on the bluffs of the Mississippi River will feature bagpipers, strolling Southern Belles and much more. Awards will include Best In Class of 16 Different Classes, seven Sponsor’s Choice, and Best of Natchez Vintage and Nouveau.
Natchez Festival of Music, May 2 – 30
The Natchez Festival of Music provides live music, theater and world-class performers throughout the Miss-Lou area (southwest Mississippi and the eastern region of central Louisiana). With year-round events right up until the annual Festival Season in May each year, guests have their choice of operas, operettas, Broadway musicals, jazz, recitals, and special concerts to attend. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year. Originally founded in 1990 as the Natchez Opera Festival, the festival was rebranded in 2003 to include a wider scope of world-class music and talent from internationally and nationally recognized entertainers. www.NatchezfestivalofMusic.com
YP Natchez Bicycle Classic, May 23
On Saturday, May 23, The Natchez Young Professionals and Natchez Adams-County Chamber of Commerce will host the 1st Annual YP Natchez Bicycle Classic. In celebration of the previous Natchez Bicycle Classic Race 20 years ago, the Young Professionals are excited for the debut of a paved and gravel surface riding options. Participants will have the choice of four riding distances. Goody bags will also be distributed, with everyone being invited to a post-ride lunch with food, drinks and live music. To register, please visit the Natchez Bicycle Classic website.
Foundation Welcomes New Exhibit Honoring Globally Distinguised Natchez Artists
The Tricentennial Celebration in Natchez is officially underway, beginning a year-long series of events to celebrate the city‚s 300 years of rich history, culture and the arts.
To reflect upon the legendary cultural scene, the Historic Natchez Foundation is showcasing "Coming Home: A Tribute to Renowned Natchez Artists," a new collaborative art show featuring the work of five former Natchez residents who have each attained recognition in the global art scene. Each of the artists have a different style of work, from fabric arts to abstract narratives and photorealism, all have been inspired by historic Natchez.
Featured artists include:
Vidal Blankenstein -- Blankenstein's paintings and mixed media images explore the relationship between the human figure and its natural, architectural and emotional environments.
Dale Campbell Fairbanks -- Fairbanks is a narrative abstract artist, painting large scale and expansive canvases that have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and cultural centers throughout the country.
Susan Colter Hollingsworth -- Hollingsworth designs wearable pieces of art, each one telling a unique story through the hands of skilled artisans from cultures around the globe.
Noah Saterstrom -- In addition to his paintings, drawings and animations, Saterstrom has published essays and book collaborations and is the founder and curator of the online art journal, Trickhouse.
Will Smith, Jr. -- Smith has completed hundreds of private and commercial murals that have taken him throughout the country. He currently lives in New Orleans where his work highlights the architecture, history and artistic phenomenon that is found in the city.
For more information on Natchez and to learn about other Tricentennial events, please visit www.visitnatchez.org or www.natchezms300.com.