Lena Richard and Julia Child: Two Women Who Changed Culinary History
2021-03-10 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | VA
Celebrate Women’s History Month with this Smithsonian Affiliations Virtual Scholar Talk –
Lena Richard and Julia Child: Two Women Who Changed Culinary History
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom
Tickets: Free event, must pre-register
REGISTER HERE
Lena Richard and Julia Child: Two Women Who Changed Culinary History
Join Smithsonian Affiliations for a look at chefs Lena Richard and Julia Child. Through their cookbooks, teaching, and television programs, these extraordinary women inspired generations of people to take cooking seriously. They challenged perceptions and stereotypes of women in their respective eras and made lasting contributions to culinary history. Their stories, reflective of their very different backgrounds, reveal insights about women, race, food, and culture in 20th-century America.
Featuring:
Paula Johnson, Curator, National Museum of American History
Ashley Rose Young, Historian, National Museum of American History

Ancient Worlds Contemporary Selves
2021-03-24 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Smithsonian Affiliations Virtual Scholar Talk –
Ancient Worlds Contemporary Selves: Smithsonian Scholars Explore Intersectionality
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online, Zoom
Tickets: Free event, must pre-register
REGISTER HERE
Ancient Worlds Contemporary Selves: Smithsonian Scholars Explore Intersectionality
In this discussion, scholars from the National Museum of the American Indian, Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian American Art Museum explore how artists integrate the ancient world within their contemporary artistic practice. In so doing, their works update and create new meanings, allowing them to pass on complex and layered cultural interpretations to future generations.
Featuring:
Healoha Johnston, Curator, Asian Pacific American Women’s Cultural History, Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center
Claudia Zapata, Curatorial Assistant, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Women Artists Respond to Place
2021-03-31 17:00 - 19:00 | VA
Celebrate Women’s History Month with Smithsonian Affiliations Virtual Scholar Talk –
Women Artists Respond to Place
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
Location: Online, Zoom
Tickets: Free event, must pre-register
REGISTER HERE
Women Artists Respond to Place
The significance of landscapes, places, and narratives of all kinds will be examined through the works of contemporary women artists in Smithsonian collections.
Featuring:
Rebecca Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, National Museum of the American Indian
Tuliza Fleming, Curator of American Art, National Museum of African American History and Culture

Virtual Speaker Series - Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton
2021-04-06 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: ZOOM (Free, but registration is required)
Join the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Tuesday, April 6, 7:00pm for a conversation with author Lydia R. Hamessley about her book Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton’s success as a performer and pop culture phenomenon has overshadowed her achievements as a songwriter. But she sees herself as a songwriter first, and with good reason. Parton’s compositions like “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene” have become American standards with an impact far beyond country music. Hamessley will share insights into the impact of Parton’s background on her songs; the ways that those songs have explored women’s lives, poverty, love and heartbreak; and the genius and creativity of Parton’s songwriting.
Lydia Hamessley is Professor of Music at Hamilton College (Clinton, NY) where she teaches courses in country music, medieval and Renaissance music, music in film, and world music. She received her Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Minnesota in 1991. She writes on old-time and bluegrass music, with an emphasis on women and Southern Appalachia. She has also written about the banjo in nineteenth-century America; Appalachian murder ballads; and Peggy Seeger. She appeared in the BBC2 documentary Dolly Parton: Here I Am, which is currently available on Netflix. She is also a clawhammer banjo player.
“Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE

My Great Aunt Arizona
2021-04-16 | VA
Date: Friday, April 16, 2021
Time: Premieres at 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum at Home
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! Each session we will read a children’s book, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared to children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family-together activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will be “premiered” in the Museum at Home section of our website and on our social media channels.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
My Great Aunt Arizona
Reminiscent of the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder, My Great-Aunt Arizona is an inspiring tale rich with history, family, and artistry. Based on a true story, author Gloria Houston’s joyous recounting of her great-aunt Arizona’s quiet yet meaningful life reminds us of the special place a great teacher can hold in our hearts—even after we’ve grown up.
Arizona was born in a log cabin her papa built in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She grew into a tall girl who liked to sing, square-dance, and—most of all—read and dream of the faraway places she would visit one day. Arizona never did make it to those places. Instead she became a teacher, helping generations of children in the one-room schoolhouse which she herself had attended.
This book is shared with permission from Harper Collins.
About the Author
Dr. Gloria Houston wrote over 10 books that were published in numerous languages. Her books have won and been listed on more than forty awards and awards lists. Over the years, she taught at the University of South Florida and Western Carolina University and was lovingly referred to as “Ms. Mack” in earlier years teaching in Florida and Texas schools grades K-12. She frequently identified herself as “first, last and always, a teacher.” Her books are filled with Appalachian mountain history and culture with great attention to detail woven throughout the characters and scenery with many of the character’s based on her relatives. Her “Littlejim” series are books about her father, J. Myron Houston’s life and “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” features her Mother, Ruth Houston, as the main character. She penned a tribute to teachers in “My Great Aunt Arizona”, a story about her Aunt Arizona Hughes, and librarians are the stars of “Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile”. In each book she wrote of her childhood experiences and stories handed down through her family and community. Dr. Houston was designated as a Distinguished Educator by the International Reading Association. She won the National Excellence in Literacy Education Award, and was named a Distinguished Alumni at Appalachian State University. She is listed in Who’s Who in America, Outstanding Women of the Twenty-First Century, Who’s Who in the Southwest, Who’s Who in Education, International Who’s Who of Authors, Something about the Author, Contemporary Authors as well as other references. Houston passed away at the age of 75 in 2016.

Special Exhibit: Our Living Past
2021-04-18 - 2021-09-30 | VA
Dates: April 18, 2021 – September 30, 2021
Location: Special Exhibits Gallery, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Timothy Duffy has been photographing musicians in the South for 35 years and is the founder of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, that helps elderly musicians meet their basic needs so that they can share their music with the world. The exhibit Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers features portraits of these musicians and still lifes of Southern scenes in the form of 25 palladium prints created from Duffy’s wet-plate photographs. The portraits featured in the exhibit range from little known harmonica players and blues singers like Dr. Dixon, Algia Mae Hinton, and Lena Mae Perry, to more famous, contemporary artists. Soul singer Sharon Jones, slide guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks, and blues legend Taj Mahal have all had their portraits taken in Duffy’s unique style and are also featured in the exhibit. These evocative images give a glimpse into the rich historical narrative and vital culture of Southern traditional music. Duffy’s life work – to preserve this culture – now takes on a tangible form through Our Living Past and works to ensure that these important living links to our history get the recognition they deserve.
Several pieces of folk art made by Music Maker artists will be on display with the photographs.
Related programming has included an interview with Music Maker Relief Foundation co-founder Denise Duffy on Museum Talk with Rene & Scotty on Radio Bristol on Thursday, April 29 at 12:00 p.m. that can be listened to via the show’s archive. We are also hosting a Virtual Speaker Series presentation by Tim Duffy on Tuesday, July 6, 7:00 p.m.
Check out this video of Tim Duffy photographing Ironing Board Sam for the cover photograph for his book Blue Muse:

The Music Maker Relief Foundation was founded to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time. Music Maker gives future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.

Virtual Speaker Series: A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals
2021-05-04 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Zoom (Free, but registration is required)
Join our Virtual Speaker Series on Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. when we will be hearing from Pat Jarrett, Interim Director of the Virginia Folklife Program, with “A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals.”
For its entire existence, the Virginia Folklife Program has documented folklife activities, filmed musicians and festivals, and recorded traditional artists all across the Commonwealth. Many of these recordings have remained on physical tapes since the time they were recorded. It’s only in the last 10 years that they’ve started to digitize and preserve these recordings, making them publicly available whenever possible on their YouTube channel. For as many hours as there are publicly accessible recordings, there are still big piles of tapes on their shelves. During this time of lockdown when many have been missing public events, live music, and festivals, the Virginia Folklife Program staff have been bringing these tapes online and premiering them digitally. With this Virtual Speaker Series, Pat Jarrett will be sharing some recordings of festivals never before seen and talking about these hidden gems with Dr. Rene Rodgers.
Pat Jarrett is a photographer and filmmaker who has been working for the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities for the last decade.
* “A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE

Georgia Music
2021-05-07 11:00 - 23:00 | VA
Date: Friday, May 7, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum from Home Web Page
VISIT MUSEUM FROM HOME
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! In each session we will read from one or two children’s books, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared toward children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will “premiere” on Museum from Home and on the museum’s social media pages.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
Friday, May 7 our selection will be Georgia Music, written by Helen V. Griffith and illustrated by James Stevenson.
Georgia Music
A young girl finds a way to make her sick grandfather laugh again by bringing back the Georgia music they had shared the summer before.
“Luminous watercolors.” ~ Kirkus Reviews.
“A sensitive portrayal of the vital connection between young and old.” ~ Booklist.
About the Author
Helen V. Griffith is the author of many award-winning books for children, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book Georgia Music, illustrated by James Stevenson, and the ALA Notable Books Grandaddy and Janetta, Grandaddy’s Place, and Grandaddy’s Stars (all illustrated by James Stevenson). Helen Griffith lives in Wilmington, Delaware.

Cowboy Dreams
2021-05-21 11:00 - 23:00 | VA
Date: Friday, May 21, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum from Home Web Page
VISIT MUSEUM FROM HOME
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! In each session we will read from one or two children’s books, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared toward children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will “premiere” on Museum from Home and on the museum’s social media pages.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
Friday, May 21 our selection will be Cowboy Dreams, written and illustrated by Dayal Kaur Khalsa and will be read with permission by Penguin Random House.
Cowboy Dreams
One of the most colorful and best-selling books by Dayal Kaur Khalsa is back in print – and in paper. In this enchanting story, an imaginative city girl yearns to be a cowboy and to have her very own horse. So she builds one on the basement banister and, using a jump rope for reins, rides all winter long, singing cowboy tunes.
About the Author
Dayal Kaur Khalsa both wrote and illustrated picture books that celebrate the joys in life: the love between grandparents and grandchildren, the togetherness of a family holiday, the ingenuity of a girl who wants a dog, the thrill of discovering a new and delicious food. Her books have won numerous awards, including being chosen twice for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year and twice as a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Dayal Kaur Khalsa died in 1989.

Virtual Speaker Series: Filmmaker Beth Harrington Presents a Screening and Discussion of "The Musicianer"
2021-06-01 19:00 - 20:45 | VA
Date: Tuesday, June 1
Time: 7:00 p. m. EDT
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join us on Tuesday, June 1, at 7:00pm EST for a screening of filmmaker Beth Harrington’s new short film (22 minutes), The Musicianer, followed by a discussion with Beth and music from Petunia, the lead actor/musician. This fictional film – Beth calls it “Supernatural Americana” – is based around a yodeling hillbilly singer from the 1920s who finds himself immortal, playing his music down the years and intersecting with some present-day musicologists. One of Beth’s most well-known films is The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes, and the Course of Country Music, and a lot of the research that went into this Carter Family film found its way into The Musicianer, especially the history of the early recording industry, talking pictures, etc. Beth will share the story behind the making of the film, how it intersects with the work she did on The Winding Stream, and much more!
The Musicianer has been part of numerous film festivals as an official selection, and it has won several awards, including Best Short at Rails to Reel in Meridian, Mississippi (Jimmie Rodgers’ hometown!), Best Music Film at the Franklin International Indie Film Festival, and Winner at the Director’s Cut International Film Festival.
* “Beth Harrington Presents a Screening and Discussion of The Musicianer” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE
Beth Harrington
Beth Harrington is an independent producer, director and writer, whose fervor for American history, music and culture has led to a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed films.
Whether exploring the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, chronicling the history of the Aleutian Islands or drinking up the world of craft beer brewing, Beth seamlessly straddles the line between objective journalistic integrity and a passion for every subject. As a result, her films are both thought provoking and heartfelt.
Beth’s most recent works, The Winding Stream – The Carters, The Cashes and The Course of Country Music and the Grammy-nominated Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, reflect her long-standing love of music. A rock-and-roll singer and guitarist, she is most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on the Warner Bros. Sire Records label.
Petunia
Petunia is more than just an entertainer, he’s a modern musical enigma. Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby, that yodeled…or Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s hobo junction. This is just one way of describing the man known simply as Petunia. He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious stranger. He’s been referred to as “The Savior of Country Music”, and a man who exists in a different era, bringing the past forth as something new to be celebrated and not forgotten.
Petunia grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings that a country musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns, secret forts, and acres of unspoiled land. As an adult, the wandering spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road, playing every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway system, before graduating to full-fledged touring musician. When he’s not on the road playing shows, Petunia is also involved in the theatre world: building side projects, writing scores, acting, or collaborating with theatre artists. Petunia & The Vipers played Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in 2017.

The Little Black Truck
2021-06-04 11:00 - 23:00 | VA
Date: Friday, June 4, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum from Home Web Page
VISIT MUSEUM FROM HOME
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! In each session we will read from one or two children’s books, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared toward children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will “premiere” on Museum from Home and on the museum’s social media pages.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
Friday, June 4 our selection will be The Little Black Truck written by Libba Moore Gray and illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles, read with permission from Simon & Shuster.
The Little Black Truck
A charming tale depicted in luminous pastels recounts the history of a trusty pickup truck left out in the woods after it gets too old to work anymore, until the owner’s grandson restores its original beauty.
About the Author
Libba Moore Gray has been an actress, a dancer, and for twenty years a teacher of high school English and drama. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in a number of literary magazines, and Miss Tizzy was her first book for children. Ms. Gray’s four children include a businessman, a ballerina, a teacher, and a professional clown. With her husband, Robert, she makes her home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Virtual Story Time - Book: Knoxville, Tennessee
2021-06-18 11:00 - 23:00 | VA
Date: Friday, June 18, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum from Home Web Page
VISIT MUSEUM FROM HOME
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! In each session we will read from one or two children’s books, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared toward children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will “premiere” on Museum from Home and on the museum’s social media pages.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
Friday, June 18 our selection will be Knoxville, Tennessee, written by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Larry Johnson, read with permission given by Nikki Giovanni.
Knoxville, Tennessee
A poem by one of America’s most popular African-American poets celebrates the simple, comfortable pleasures of life in the South, describing vegetables eaten right out of the garden, church picnics, and homemade ice cream.
About the Author
Poet Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943. Although she grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, she and her sister returned to Knoxville each summer to visit their grandparents. Nikki graduated with honors in history from her grandfather’s alma mater, Fisk University. Since 1987, she has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor.
Giovanni has earned seven NAACP Image Awards and was named among Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legends. She was the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award, has been listed as Woman of the Year in three publications including Ebony Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and Mademoiselle Magazine. Among her numerous awards, Giovanni has achieved the American Book Award, Caldecott Honor Book Award, Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame Award, and the Langston Hughes Award. A species of bat was also named in her honor – Micronycteris giovanniae!

Virtual Story Time featuring When Uncle Took the Fiddle
2021-07-02 11:00 - 23:00 | VA
Date: Friday, July 2, 2021
Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Location: Museum from Home Web Page
VISIT MUSEUM FROM HOME
Join us at 11:00 a.m. twice each month for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Virtual Story Time! In each session we will read from one or two children’s books, often including sounds or songs, learning sheets, or other related activities. Virtual Story Time is primarily geared toward children aged 3-6 years old, but may be enjoyed by older children and adults as a fun family activity. Stories have been chosen to relate to the museum’s content, musical heritage, and Appalachian culture. Each Virtual Story Time will “premiere” on Museum from Home and on the museum’s social media pages.
Reading aloud is a major factor in advancing early literacy skills in young children, helps in ongoing language development, and opens up children’s imagination.
Friday, July 2 our selection will be When Uncle Took the Fiddle written by Libba Moore Gray and illustrated by Lloyd Broom, with permission given by Scholastic Books.
When Uncle Took the Fiddle
When the entire family declares they are exhausted, Uncle reaches for the fiddle, and before you know it, Grandpa’s feet are stomping, grandma’s hands are clapping, and everyone finds good cheer.
About the Author
Libba Moore Gray has been an actress, a dancer, and for twenty years a teacher of high school English and drama. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in a number of literary magazines, and Miss Tizzy was her first book for children. Ms. Gray’s four children include a businessman, a ballerina, a teacher, and a professional clown. With her husband, Robert, she makes her home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Virtual Speaker Series: Timothy Duffy on Photography and Southern Music Makers
2021-07-06 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, July 6
Time: 7:00 p. m. EST
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join us on Tuesday, July 6, at 7:00pm EST for our monthly Virtual Speaker Series featuring photographer Timothy Duffy. Tim will share stories and insights from his career working with Southern roots musicians, talk about his exploration of the unique process of tintype photography, and discuss the mission of Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit he founded with his wife Denise that supports these musicians financially and creatively. This program goes along with our current special exhibit, Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers, featuring Tim’s photographs and various pieces of folk art. The exhibit is on display through September 30, 2021.
* “Timothy Duffy on Photography and Southern Music Makers” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE
Timothy Duffy
Timothy Duffy is a folklorist, musician, and producer, and he has been photographing roots musicians for over 35 years. He started photographing and documenting the lives of traditional musicians when he was a teenager, continuing this work as a college student in western North Carolina. In 1983, Tim transferred to Friends World College and spent three years in Mombasa, Kenya studying Swahili musicians. During his work on his master’s in folklore from UNC Chapel Hill, Tim started working with Piedmont blues artists, many of whom are featured in the Our Living Past exhibit.
Music Maker Relief Foundation
The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, was founded in 1994 to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it, ensuring their voices will not be silenced by poverty and time. Music Maker will give future generations access to their heritage through documentation and performance programs that build knowledge and appreciation of America’s musical traditions.

Museum Volunteer Training
2021-07-10 09:00 - 12:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Saturday, July 10, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events and programs, and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Training session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in joining our online Museum Volunteer Training, email us at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Teacher In-Service: Museum Lesson Plans
2021-07-27 09:00 - 2021-07-29 12:30 | VA
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is offering a Teacher In-Service Program this summer. Educators will have the opportunity to learn more about new museum lesson plans tied into a variety of Tennessee and Virginia state standards, educational resources provided by the museum, activities to take back to your classrooms, and field trip opportunities.
Event Details
Dates: Tuesday, July 27 (elementary) and Thursday, July 29 (middle and high school)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, Virginia
Times: 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (lunch included)
Cost: Free
Certificate: An in-service certificate for three (3) hours will be presented to attending educators

Registration: Space is limited so register below to attend

Description:
Are you hoping to jumpstart your teaching game and find new ways to make learning enjoyable and relevant in the fall after the most stressful school year in history?
If so, then we invite all local and regional educators to attend one of our half-day in-person workshops this summer at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (BCMM). These professional development opportunities will be offered July 27 (elementary) and July 29 (middle and high school) from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. In addition to exploring some new lesson plans based on museum content that can easily be adapted for your own classes, a museum tour and lunch will be provided.
BCMM will share lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school levels about the 1927 Bristol Sessions story, instruments used in those sessions, technology that impacted the music of that era, and the musicians who performed at the Sessions and their impact. Several other related lessons will also be introduced – from the geography, culture, and economics of the Appalachians in the early 1900s to music-related careers, and more!
These lessons will enable teachers to make connections between museum resources and will include Virginia and Tennessee state curriculum standards. Additionally, we will share a variety of resources that you can access to supplement lesson plans and student projects.
Licensure credit will be provided; see your district or school licensure representative for details. All attendees will also receive a door prize!
Sign up today for a music-filled, distinctively fun professional development opportunity to learn more about the museum and the history of our region. We look forward to seeing you at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
REGISTER HERE

Virtual Speaker Series: Charlie Dahan on Henry Glover: The Musical Alchemist of King Records
2021-08-03 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, August 3
Time: 7:00 p. m. EST
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join us on Tuesday, August 3, at 7:00pm EST for our monthly Virtual Speaker Series for the fascinating story of “Henry Glover: The Musical Alchemist of King Records” with Professor Charlie Dahan. One of Syd Nathan’s earliest hires for this new Cincinnati label in the late 1940s was Henry Glover, one of the first African American executives in the record business. As the head of A&R and staff producer, Glover produced, arranged, and composed many R&B and country classics. Because of his musical prowess, Glover often rearranged country songs for the R&B audience and vice versa. Glover shaped the “country boogie” sound with the Delmore Brothers that heavily influence rockabilly and rock in the 1950s. Some of the notable artists Glover produced at King include the Delmore Brothers, Little Willie John, Bullmoose Jackson, Moon Mullican, Grandpa Jones, Hank Ballard, and Bill Doggett.
* “Henry Glover: The Musical Alchemist of King Records” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE

Charlie Dahan
Charlie Dahan is a Recording Industry Professor at Middle Tennessee State University and co-author of Gennett Records and Starr Piano. He has recently been involved in several historic preservation and National Register nominations projects including King Records, Gennett Records, Hank Snow’s Rainbow Ranch, FAME Studios, and Stax Museum / Soulsville. Prior to this, he was the A&R Director at Shanachie Records, a booking agent with the Roots Agency, and co-owner of Larchmont Recordings.

History Happy Hour Talk about the Farm and Fun Time Transcription Disc
2021-08-19 18:30 - 20:00 | Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street, Jonesborough, TN, 37659, United States
Join museum curatorial staff Scotty Almany and Rene Rodgers at the Heritage Alliance‘s History Happy Hour to learn more about the preservation of a rare radio transcription disc!
Date: Thursday, August 19, 2021
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Format: In-person AND virtual
Location: Jonesborough Visitors Center AND streamed live on the Chester Inn Museum’s Facebook page
Cost: Free and open to the public
Early in 2017, Glen Harlow donated a Farm and Fun Time radio transcription disc containing live tracks that have not been heard in over 60 years. The fact that an original live recording of the Stanley Brothers with the Clinch Mountain Boys from Farm and Fun Time exists at all is pretty amazing, because the discs used to record radio broadcasts in the mid-20th century are highly unstable and prone to degradation. This disc was no different – it was broken in several places, fragile, and completely unplayable.
In 2018, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Farm and Fun Time radio transcription disc won the top number of votes for Virginia’s 10 Most Endangered Artifacts through the Virginia Association of Museums. The prize was $5,000 towards the preservation of the radio disc.
Join Scotty and Rene at August’s History Happy Hour for their talk “Putting the Band Back Together: Cutting-Edge Technology and a Farm and Fun Time Transcription Disc” to hear about the history of the disc, the preservation efforts that were put into it by the Northeast Document Conservation Center, and the songs that have been restored!
About Heritage Alliance and the Chester Inn Museum
The Heritage Alliance is dedicated to the preservation of the architectural, historical, and cultural heritage of our region and to providing educational experiences related to history and heritage for a wide range of audiences. The Chester Inn Museum is located in the heart of downtown Jonesborough, and it chronicles the history of Jonesborough from its inception in 1779 to the present. The museum is located on the street level of the oldest commercial building in town. The Heritage Alliance and Chester Inn host a variety of educational and public programs throughout the year.

Museum Volunteer Training
2021-08-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events and programs, and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Training session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in joining our online Museum Volunteer Training, email us at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
2021-09-08 - 2021-09-12 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Event: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
About: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups,drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers from September 8 to September 12, 2021.
Dates: Wednesday, September 8–Sunday, September 12, 2021
Wednesday, September 8–Thursday, September 9 (for school visits and drop-in visitors)
Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 12 (for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festivalgoers)
Location: Parked on Country Music Way in front of the museum
Exhibit Description: This year, the VMFA on the Road Artmobile is offering the new exhibition A View from Home: Landscapes of Virginia. This exhibition of paintings, photographs, woodblock prints and engravings from the museum’s permanent collection explores the diversity and beauty of the Commonwealth’s natural landscape. The collection showcases artists of various styles and periods, who together record both the sublimity of unspoiled nature and the impact of human activity on the countryside. A View from Home: Landscapes of Virginia features multiple artists such as Adele Clark, Hullihen Williams Moore, George H. Benjamin Johnson, Miwako Nishizawa, and others.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.
COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following CDC protocols, including:
*Requiring everyone wears face masks inside the Artmobile
*Physical distancing of 6 ft
*Maximum of 15 persons aboard at the same time
*Generally 15-minute visits
*Hand sanitizer and face masks will be available
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9, 2021.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
Drop-in visitors can explore the Artmobile at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED times will be marked as such). The Artmobile will be closed both days 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

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School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9, 2021. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 8–9, 2021. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am
11:20–11:50am
12:50–1:20pm
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm BOOKED
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
10:00–10:30am
10:40–11:10am
11:20–11:50am
12:50–1:20pm
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum has some funds available to help schools with transportation costs on a first come-first served basis.
Teachers can pick one of three field trip programs based on their students’ interests and needs, including a variety of activity options such as “I See, I Think, I Wonder,” “30-Second Sketch,” “Strike a Pose,” “Elaboration Game,” “Creative Comparisons,” “Contour Drawing,” “Narrative,” “Make It Move,” and “Before & After.” Further information about what to expect for your visit, connections to state standards, and the programs and related activities to choose from for your students can be found here.
TourInfoForTeachers_Packet_ArtmobileWhatToExpect_2021
Specific_GalleryActivities_FieldTrips_forSchools_Updated_2021
EducationalLinks_VMFAontheRoad_2020_2021_LandscapeExhibition
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. Our Living Past is a tintype photography and folk art exhibit, making it a wonderful companion to the Artmobile. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 1, 2021.

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 10– Sunday, September 12, 2021
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 10—12, 2021, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! It will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 10: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 11: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 12: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen in Concert - POSTPONED, NEW DATE TBD
2021-09-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum proudly presents Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen in Concert.
This show has been postponed. New date to be announced soon!
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $20 (concert only), $25 (concert + curator-led tour of Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers special exhibit); plus Bristol, VA admission tax/fees for both
PURCHASE TICKETS
Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen’s powerful voice, humor and deep blues bring the audience to their feet. Featured in the Our Living Past special exhibit, Pat’s vibrancy and love for the music jumps out of her portrait, and we are excited to have that coming to our Performance Theater stage on Saturday, September 25, 7:00pm!
Tickets are available as concert-only or concert + exhibit tour. Attendees who purchase the latter will explore the Our Living Past special exhibit with our Head Curator before the performance. The tour will start at 6:00pm, and doors open for the concert at 6:30pm.

Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen
Since the age of six, Pat was surrounded by music. Her blues classroom was on the porch of her uncle’s house where one played the guitar and the other played the harmonica. Her first professional engagement came in the early 1980s when she was asked to perform at a local club where she was attending college.
“I had three days to find three musicians and put together 30 songs,” she said. “They loved me- the rest is history because I’ve been singing the Blues ever since.”
For years, Pat sang in New Orleans six nights a week, performing at a wide array of venues including the House of Blues, until Katrina destroyed her home. She relocated to North Carolina and has recently started touring with the Music Maker Blues Revue. During her performances, “Mother Blues” unfurls the tapestry of her life experiences to her audience in soulful words and music. She shares the mettle, pathos and ocean-deep compassion of the famous female blues singers she idolizes- women like Billie Holiday, Koko Taylor and Etta James.
Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen is a dramatic and exotic performer whose talent should not be overlooked.
Article about Pat from Rolling Stone, April 22, 2020: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/blues-singer-seniors-socially-distanced-performances-987393/

Virtual Speaker Series - Spookers and Haints: Affrilachian Storytelling
2021-10-05 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Via Zoom
Tickets: Free event!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Join us Tuesday, October 5, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series, a chance to get spooky with Affrilachian storyteller Lyn Ford! Lyn will explore the importance of Affilachian storytelling within Appalachia communities and her own family, talk about the power of telling stories about “spookers and haints” and some of their origins and history, and share a tale or two with the audience to get us in the mood for the month of Halloween!
About Lyn Ford
Affrilachian storyteller Lyn Ford has been called one of the top 20 ghost story-tellers in the country. Lyn’s favorites: silly stories for kids, creepy tales for teens through adults, and original stories for everybody. She has appeared at numerous storytelling festivals, including Jonesborough’s National Storytelling Festival, and has written several books, including Affrilachian Tales, Beyond the Briar Patch, and Hot Wind, Boiling Rain. Lyn is also an Ohio teaching artist, author, laughter yoga teacher, and great-grandmother. You can learn more about Lyn’s work at her website here.

Special Exhibit: Houses of the Lord
2021-10-08 - 2021-10-15 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
In 2019, photographer Amy Shumaker began to document the aesthetic and geographical landscape of churches throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. This exhibition details the many architectural and theological styles of the Appalachian Christian subculture. Her photography show will be on display in the museum’s Special Exhibit Gallery from October 8 to October 15.
Artist Amy Shumaker will be on-site on Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10 to engage with visitors about her work. This event is open to the public.
Admission to “Houses of the Lord” is free and open to the public; regular admission costs apply to visitors who would like to visit the rest of the museum. Please respect current COVID-19 guidelines for the museum.
Museum hours are as follows:

Monday, closed
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm
Sunday, 1-5pm

This exhibit is presented by AS Photo and Design.

Special Exhibit: The Way We Worked
2021-10-30 - 2022-01-23 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dates: October 30, 2021 – January 23, 2022
Location: Special Exhibits Gallery, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Way We Worked explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The diversity of the American workforce is one of its strengths, providing an opportunity to explore how people of all races and ethnicities identified commonalities and worked to knock down barriers in the professional world. The exhibition shows how we identify with work – as individuals and as communities.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) has created a supplementary display related to work in Bristol and the Tri-Cities region from major manufacturing and resource extraction (e.g. coal, timber) to retail, food services, farming, local industry, and the local newspaper. Special thanks to several organizations, businesses, and individuals who loaned images and object for this display, including the Archives of the City of Kingsport, Black in Appalachia, Bristol Herald Courier, Bristol Historical Association, Buchanan County Historical Society, Tim Buchanan, Eastman, Helms Candy Company, Ruth King, Jack Pierce, Tom Rogers, and Strongwell.
The Way We Worked presents a wonderful educational opportunity for local and regional schools, ties in well to state standards and curricula through engaging content. Teachers can contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birtplaceofcountrymusic.org to find more about booking in-person and virtual tours of this exhibit. Teachers may also attend a FREE introduction to The Way We Worked on Monday, November 1, 2021, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., a great opportunity to explore the exhibit, talk to the curatorial team about bringing students to visit, engage with some of the exhibit’s educational resources, and interact with other educators – snacks will also be provided! Please register to attend this free teacher event HERE.
Public programming will be scheduled to go along with this exhibit – you can find out more on our Events pages.
There are also a variety of educational resources related to the exhibit, including:
The Way We Worked Elementary and Middle School Lesson Plans
The Way We Worked High School Lesson Plans
The Way We Worked Educator’s Manual
The Way We Worked Children’s Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked Young Adult Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked Adult Reading List (books from this reading list will be on display and available to check out from the Bristol Public Library)
The Way We Worked, an exhibition created by the National Archives, is adapted for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and made possible with the generous support of the United States Congress.
Special thanks to the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their support of the exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Community Day
2021-10-30 10:00 - 18:00 | VA
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Join us on Saturday, October 30, 10:00am-6:00pm for the museum’s Community Day when we will be offering free admission all day long. Visitors can explore the museum’s permanent exhibits, check out The Way We Worked, the new special exhibit from the Smithsonian, and take home some fun family-friendly goodies including a banjo craft kit and coloring/activity sheets. The museum will also be playing spooky storyteller tales on loop in the Performance Theater throughout the day.
This is a great opportunity to have a fun day out with family and friends. Be sure to check out other cool events in Historic Downtown Bristol on October 30:

Pumpkin Palooza, Downtown Center (800 State Street), 9:00am-12:00pm
Downtown Trick-or-Treating, State Street, 10:00am-12:00pm
Dedication ceremony for historical markers to Charles Spurgeon Johnson and the Reverend Charles Henry Johnson (Lee Street Baptist Church), Cumberland Square Park, 2:00pm

Virtual Speaker Series: Jennifer Licko on Appalachia and Scottish Folk Songs
2021-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public, but must pre-register for Zoom link
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Virtual Speaker Series: Jennifer Licko on Appalachia and Scottish Folk Songs
Join us on Tuesday, November 9, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series with musician and historian Jennifer Licko. Scottish settlers established themselves in the Appalachian region of several states, including North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. In these isolated areas, the old songs of love, loss, murder, ghosts, and earlier times were passed down by oral tradition, expressing timeless themes and ties to the past. Over time the melodies and words changed creating variations that are still sung today. Licko, a North Carolina native, will be sharing her observations on variants and versions of Scottish folk songs that exist in Appalachia.
About Jennifer Licko
Awarded “Celtic Album of the Year” by Celtic Music Radio and nomination for “Trad Album of the Year” by TradConnect, Jennifer Licko has a strong relationship with the music that traveled over with the Scottish settlers.
Spending her youth as a competitive Scottish Highland Dancer encouraged her interest and love for the Scottish traditions. Jennifer is an exceptional vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who plays the piano, guitar, and bodhrán (Irish drum). After living almost a decade in Scotland and Ireland, Jennifer realized the strong similarities between Scotland and North Carolina…and her music began to branch out into a genre that honors those connections.
“I believe that the music needs to connect with the audience through our shared emotions and experiences for us all to feel that which can only be experienced through music.”
Jennifer works as a performer, educator, and advocate for cultural inclusion in education. She founded and operates the non-profit Highland Echoes carrying out three large-scale projects to support the mission of cultivating awareness and preservation of Scottish culture, she runs The Cultural Classroom providing resources and support for teachers, and she has her own podcast called Respecting Diversity in the Class.
Jennifer is currently living in Brazil as an ex-pat, raising two trilingual and extremely energetic boys, and a very sweet white lab named Bailey. In her free time, she enjoys running and being by the ocean in any capacity. Probably not important to a professional bio, but Jennifer’s favorite color is aqua, her favorite food is mint chocolate chip Ice cream (yep, that’s real food), and her Starbucks choice is a grande Americano.
For more information about Jennifer’s music and work, check out her website.

Black Friday, Holiday Open House & More!
2021-11-26 - 2021-11-30 | VA
Dates: Friday, November 26-30, 2021
November 26: #Black Friday
Weekend passes to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2022 go on sale for $90 – the deepest discount you’ll see all year! Purchase before midnight on December 12, 2021 for delivery just in time for Christmas!
November 27: #SmallBusinessSaturday
#ShopSmall to support locally-owned small businesses in your community!
November 28: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Open House
#MuseumStoreSunday & #ArtistsSunday
Join us at the museum for a special Holiday Open House as we celebrate the holidays with live music from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET, door prizes, a 20% discount in The Museum Store off one item, and light refreshments!
Be sure and peruse our vast collection of unique gifts in The Museum Store including exclusive Birthplace of Country Music merchandise and items created by local artisans. From handmade bath and body items and candles to one-of-a-kind pottery and jewelry, shop local and support their small businesses!
November 29: #CyberMonday
Instead of shopping national chains, support local online businesses, including The Museum Store!
November 30: #GivingTuesday
Click here to make a one-time donation to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum or ask how you can become a member of our 1927 Society!

Virtual Speaker Series: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Curatorial Team on Music and Work
2021-12-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, December 7, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public, but must pre-register for Zoom link
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Virtual Speaker Series: BCMM Curatorial Team on the Connections Between Work and Music
Join us on Tuesday, December 7, 7:00pm for our next Virtual Speaker Series with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum curatorial team. This talk will go along with our current special exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, The Way We Worked, which is on display at the museum through January 23. René Rodgers (Head Curator), Erika Barker (Curatorial Manager), and Scotty Almany (Digital Media, Programming & Exhibit Logistics Manager) will discuss how music is interwoven throughout the history of America’s workforce culture.
Proletariat anthems, union movement songs, stories of hard labor and tragedy, and how music influences workflow and productivity will be thoughtfully examined and presented by our staff. We look forward to sharing this exploration of music and work with our virtual audience!
About The Way We Worked
The Way We Worked explores how work became such a central element in American culture by tracing the many changes that affected the workforce and work environments over the past 150 years. The diversity of the American workforce is one of its strengths, providing an opportunity to explore how people of all races and ethnicities identified commonalities and worked to knock down barriers in the professional world. The exhibition shows how we identify with work – as individuals and as communities.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) has created a supplementary display related to work in Bristol and the surrounding region from major manufacturing and resource extraction (e.g. coal, timber) to retail, food services, farming, local industry, and the local newspaper.
About the BCMM Curatorial Team
Scotty Almany is the Digital Media, Programming & Exhibit Logistics Manager at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. He received his Master’s in Museum Studies from John Hopkins University, and he has worked at the museum since it opened in 2014. He is a musician, a Radio Bristol DJ, and a hockey fanatic. Erika Barker is the Curatorial Manager at the museum. She did a Master’s in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University, and she has been at the museum since 2017. Erika is learning Korean, loves to read, and plays Dungeons & Dragons. Dr. René Rodgers is the Head Curator at the museum. She did her Master’s and Ph.D. work at Durham University in the UK, and she joined the museum team before it opened as a member of the exhibit content development team. She loves to read, hike with her dog Pippa out in nature, and get creative with her bullet journal.

Farm and Fun Time
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00 | VA
Date: Thursday, December 9, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET (Audience is asked to be seated by 6:55 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $35
BUY TICKETS
**COVID-19 Policy
Most performers whose livelihoods depend on not contracting Covid-19 will currently not perform indoors, at least not in small venues where the audience is close. Since we want to continue to have Farm and Fun Time in the intimate confines of the Museum Performance Theater for recording for PBS telecast, audience members, staff, musicians, and artists in attendance will be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours” for entry.
Hosted by Kris Truelsen and his house band Bill and the Belles, Farm and Fun Time is a celebration of Appalachian music and culture with various segments, original jingles, and featured artists and an homage to the classic program of the same name that aired on WCYB radio in the 1940s and 1950s.
Farm and Fun Time broadcasts live from the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum before a studio audience and can be accessed in its entirety on WBCM Radio Bristol’s Facebook page live. You may also tune in to the program on the air at 100.1 FM in the Bristol area or online at ListenRadioBristol.org.
About Tim O’Brien Band
The Tim O’Brien Band is just as versatile as its leader’s music is diverse. With a large repertoire that ranges from traditional bluegrass grooves through contemporary singer songwriter styles, this Nashville based, five-piece acoustic string band makes it all shine. Long time session and touring stalwarts Mike Bub (bass) and Shad Cobb (fiddle) join mandolinist and singer Jan Fabricius and new member Gaven Largent (dobro and banjo) to provide backing to O’Brien’s vocal, guitar and fiddle.
Born in 1954 in Wheeling WV, O’Brien came on the bluegrass scene with Colorado’s Hot Rize starting in 1978. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has won Folk and Bluegrass Grammys, and his songs have been covered by New Grass Revival, Kathy Mattea and Garth Brooks. After moving to Nashville in 1996, O’Brien found plenty of work as a studio sideman for folks like Steve Earle, Mark Knopfler and Sturgill Simpson. The International Bluegrass Music Association has twice awarded him with Song of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year prizes.
Bassist Mike Bub, originally from California, is a bluegrass standby, having toured the world with the Del McCoury Band and others. Fiddler Shad Cobb, from Wisconsin, grew up in a musical family and is known for his uniquely improvisational style. Originally from western Kansas, Jan Fabricius plays mandolin and adds beautiful harmony to O’Brien’s lead vocals. Virginian Gaven Largent brings classic dobro and banjo sounds to the band.
The band’s songbook draws from recent Tim O’Brien releases like 2021’s “He Walked On”, but also includes songs from earlier CD’s like the Celtic tinged “The Crossing” and the Dylan covers of “Red On Blonde”, with an occasional Hot Rize song thrown in for good measure.
For more information about the Tim O’Brien Band, visit TimObrien.net.
About The Slocan Ramblers
The Slocan Ramblers (2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.
On their much-anticipated album Queen City Jubilee (2019 Juno Award Nominee for Traditional Roots Album of the Year), The Slocans showcase their unique blend of bluegrass, old-time and folk with deep song-writing, lightning fast instrumentals and sawdust-thick vocals. With their trademark raucous energy, this album presents The Slocan Ramblers at the top of their game – writing and playing tunes to keep you up all night. This is roots music without pretension, music to make you feel something – say hello to your new favourite band.
For more information about The Slocan Ramblers, visit SlocanRamblers.com.

Speaker Series (Hybrid): Art as Work with AAME
2022-01-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, January 11, 7:00pm
Cost: Free and open to the public
Virtual: Click here to register
In-person: Click here to RSVP
On Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 7:00 PM, we are kicking off another year of the museum’s Speaker Series by partnering with the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire (AAME) for our first hybrid virtual and in-person event! A panel of local artists will discuss what it is like to work in the arts field and how their work is represented in art. Artists on the panel are active in the Tri-Cities region and include Leigh Ann Agee (author and visual artist), Cherylonda Fitzgerald (cellist and music teacher), Richard Graves (visual artist), Val Lyle (sculptor and public artist), and Eugene Wolf (actor and singer). All of our panelists have made art their work in multiple ways, and their versatility and business acumen has augmented their ability to bring their creative vision to the world. This program will give local artists the opportunity to help us understand how they work at the intersection of imaginative freedom and pragmatic demand – how they create art that will provide an income.
This program ties into the Smithsonian exhibit The Way We Worked, currently on display at the museum through January 23, 2022. Interested in-person attendees can participate in a curator-guided tour of the exhibit after the program.
The virtual program will stream live via Zoom, and the in-person program will be held in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s Performance Theater.
**COVID-19 Policy
In-person audience members, staff, and artists will be required to wear face coverings and show proof of vaccination or proof of negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours for entry to the program in the museum’s Performance Theater.
About the Panel
Richard Graves (richardgravesart.com) is a visual artist who works in portraiture, figure drawing, and the surreal. Richard is an AAME board member and will be moderating the Virtual Speaker Series panel discussion. His work can be found in The Museum Store.
Artist Leigh Ann Agee (leighannagee.com) began painting as a hobby, but in time found that this was her calling and made art her work. She paints custom murals and is the creator of Moon Bound Girl, “a brand that inspires girls and women everywhere to dream big and pursue their passions.” Leigh Ann’s work can be found in The Museum Store.
Cellist Cherylonda Fitzgerald (cherylonda.com) both performs and teaches her instrument. She is principal cellist with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra and performs with the Symphony of the Mountains and the Paramount Players, among others. Cherylonda teaches privately in the “Cello Underground” in her home, as well as at Milligan College.
Sculptor Val Lyle (artnowllc.com) creates public art, and her local pieces include the interactive “Take the Stage” outside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, “Caterpillar Crawl” in downtown Bristol, “The Sentinel” and “The Spirit of Generosity” in Kingsport, and the “ASPIRE” mobile and “Forward Rhythms” at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.
Actor and musician Eugene Wolf has appeared on the Barter Theatre stage many times, played with the Brother Boys along with Ed Snodderly, and most recently brought his own childhood to the stage in his one-man show “The Book of Mamaw,” which has been staged at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Among his recordings is a collaboration with Russian folk musician Mitya Kuznetsov.
