(L to R) Julia Underkoffler, Erika Barker, Aja Bain, Scotty Almany, Dr. Rene Rodgers, and Hank Collie.
BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Nov. 25, 2024) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va. has been honored with the Award for Excellence for its exhibit I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 79th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history in the country.
“The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is one of only two institutions honored in Virginia this year,” said AASLH Senior Manager of Professional Development and Publications Aja Bain. “Tennessee also had two winners, so any way you slice it, it is a small and special group. ‘I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music’ carried off beautifully what it means to be a comprehensive, engaging, and community-focused history project in 2024. An exhibit that gathered people here in the museum to be surrounded by the artifacts of the story in the city where it started, and an exhibit that traveled to other sites in other states to share the story widely and enable other communities to add their voices.”
“We are thrilled to be recognized by AASLH with this prestigious honor,” said museum Head Curator Dr. Rene Rodgers. “I’ve Endured took years of research and dedication by our women-led content team to bring the project to life, and it has been so well-received both here at home and on the road. We especially thank all of the talented and trail-blazing women who are featured in the exhibit – many are no longer with us. We are proud to give these unsung heroines a voice. Their fortitude and perseverance through challenges serve as an inspiration to us all.”
I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music opened at the museum in March 2023 and resided there until the end of that year; it is now traveling to other venues. The exhibit explores the stories of women who have influenced old-time, country, and bluegrass music over the decades, the challenges women faced to make a career in music, and the way contemporary female musicians are innovating and pushing the genre’s boundaries today. Featuring audio-visual elements, artifacts and objects, and text and image panels, the exhibit provides an educational and engaging experience for audiences. The museum offered monthly programming to complement the exhibit during its tenure in Bristol. An extensive, content-focused website and related resources accompany the exhibit as it moves to new locations, with room to add new content.
Though the museum has curated its own exhibits in the past, I’ve Endured is the first traveling exhibit to be designed by the institution. The exhibit spent three months this summer at the Museum of Regional History in Mt. Airy, N.C. before moving to the Oxford Area Historical Association in Pennsylvania in Sept.; it is on display there now through Dec. 13. Next year the exhibit will travel to Baltimore’s Creative Alliance, the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va., and the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, Tenn.
This year, AASLH conferred 47 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the Unites States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, go to www.aaslh.org.
For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.