Museum Archives - Page 3 of 60 - The Birthplace of Country Music

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ traveling Artmobile stops in Bristol Sept. 17-21

September 4, 2025

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Sept. 4, 2025) – The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is bringing its celebrated traveling art exhibition, VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century, to Historic Downtown Bristol this fall. From September 17–21, classrooms and the public are invited to explore the latest exhibition, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions, at no cost. The event is in partnership with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

This compelling and immersive exhibition showcases a wide range of works from VMFA’s permanent collection, exploring how artists across cultures and time periods have captured the depth and complexity of human emotion. From joy and love to sorrow and struggle, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions invites visitors to reflect on the universal feelings that connect us all.

“We are thrilled to welcome VMFA on the Road back to Bristol,” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “This is a great free opportunity to have a world-class gallery experience for both schools and drop-in visitors. Educators can contact us for a tour with your students, which can also include a free visit to our current special exhibit, Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains.”

Housed in a state-of-the-art, climate-controlled mobile museum, VMFA on the Road offers a free and accessible art experience for all ages. Guided tours and educational resources will be available throughout the week, making it an excellent field trip opportunity for schools and community groups.

Exhibition Details:

For school visits:

Wednesday, Sept. 17 – Thursday, Sept. 18

For drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival goers:

Wednesday, Sept. 17 – Thursday, Sept. 18 (when not booked by a student group; interested visitors can see the schedule on our website)
Friday, Sept. 19 – Sunday, Sept. 21

Location: Cumberland Square Park parking lot, across from Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Admission: FREE and open to the public

The VMFA on the Road initiative is part of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ commitment to sharing art and culture with communities across the Commonwealth.

For more information about the VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Hollie Moody at hmoody@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. The deadline for bookings is Sept. 12. For more details, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

“Making Our Future” with folklorist and author Emily Hilliard

September 3, 2025

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Sept. 3, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is excited to welcome folklorist Emily Hilliard for a memorable Speaker Session Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET, entitled “Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia.” There is no cost to attend.

In this thought-provoking talk, Hilliard will delve into the future-focused and collaborative approach to cultural work that she explores in her critically acclaimed book, Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia (UNC Press, 2022). Using a rich variety of examples—from the West Virginia Teachers’ Strike to non-professional women songwriters, Appalachian hot dogs to the legacy of independent pro-wrestling—Hilliard reveals how folklore serves as a dynamic and unifying force that connects the past to the present while shaping visions of the future.

Through her work, Emily Hilliard presents folklore not as static tradition, but as a vibrant, living practice that thrives in everyday life and collective action. Hilliard is currently a folklorist at Berea College and formerly served as the West Virginia State Folklorist, where she founded the West Virginia Folklife Program. Her book was named a finalist for the 2022 Weatherford Award in Nonfiction, which honors works that best illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South. She is also the co-founder and co-owner of the feminist record label SPINSTER.

To register for free to attend in person, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. The program will also stream live on Radio Bristol’s YouTube channel.

Bristol Roots Project awards $52,000 to support local culture

August 21, 2025

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Aug. 21, 2025) – The Bristol Roots Project announced $52,000 in grant awards to folk and traditional artists and cultural organizations working in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. This is the second round of funding for the greater Bristol region made possible by Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT), a program of Mid-Atlantic Arts.

The Tradition Bearer Fellowship supports individuals in their creative practices by providing financial support, professional development, and public presentation opportunities. Eight $4,000 fellowships have been awarded, representing a $32,000 direct investment in area individuals at different stages of their careers. These fellowships will help sustain local traditional arts while raising broad awareness of the quality and value of the region’s traditional culture. Fellows will participate in various professional development, presentation, and showcase opportunities during the one-year grant period.

2025 Bristol Roots Tradition Bearers Fellows:

Benjamin Casteel, Seed Saving & Song-Keeping (Washington Co., Va.)
Amanda Lee Slaughter, Basketry (Wythe Co., Va.)
Jen Otey, Pottery (Wythe Co., Va.)
Mark Archibald, Handweaving (Smyth Co., Va.)
Amanda Sprinkle, Basketry (Washington Co., Va.)
Autumn Roe, Mixed Media Storytelling (Sullivan Co., Tenn.)
Miciah Connors, Windsor Chairmaking & Traditional Green Woodworking (Scott Co., Va.)
Eugene Wolf, Storytelling & Music (Washington Co., Va.)

The Cultural Caretakers Grant is designed to support local organizations, venues, and cultural sites. It focuses on small-scale, largely volunteer-run entities that have difficulty accessing typical sources of public and private funding. Four qualifying community organizations or venues with significant capacity-building or general operating needs have been granted awards up to $5,000 each, representing a $20,000 investment in community cultural infrastructure.

Awardees include:

Settlers Museum Foundation (Smyth Co., Va.)
Museum of Middle Appalachians, The Saltville Foundation (Smyth Co., Va.)
Tanasi Arts & Heritage Center (Unicoi Co., Tenn.)
Philippi Missionary Baptist Church/Odd Fellows Cemetery (Carter Co., Tenn.)

The Bristol Roots Project is a collective of three regional cultural organizations: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, serving as the community anchor venue, the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities, and Create Appalachia. By providing targeted resources and support to area organizations, artists, artisans, and collectives, this project seeks to dramatically increase the sustainability and visibility of traditional practice, cultural knowledge, and vitality in the Greater Bristol community. Bristol Roots is made possible through an initiative by Mid Atlantic Arts through the Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) program.

For more information on this year’s and future funding opportunities, please visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org/museum/special-projects/bristol-roots-project or reach out directly via email to BristolRootsProject@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Bristol Rhythm 2025 discount offer for MLB Classic Ticket Holders

July 25, 2025

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (July 25, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) is offering an exclusive $20 discount on weekend passes to the 2025 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival for fans attending the historic MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway. This special offer is available exclusively to all MLB Speedway Classic ticket holders with proof of purchase, giving them the opportunity to experience the region’s vibrant music culture and rich history in full force. Offer is available for a limited time.

“We are so excited to welcome visitors to our region for the MLB Speedway Classic,” said BCM Executive Director Melissa Roberts. “It’s an incredible opportunity for fans to not only witness an historic baseball game, but also dive into the rich cultural heritage of country music here in Bristol. We hope they’ll stop by the museum and take advantage of this special offer to join us for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2025 — an unforgettable weekend of music, community, and celebration.”

MLB Speedway Classic ticket holders may redeem this offer in person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, where they must show proof of purchase for their MLB Speedway Classic tickets to secure the discount. The ticket-for-ticket offer means that for each MLB Speedway Classic ticket, fans may purchase an additional Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion weekend pass at $20 off. For example, if a ticket holder has two MLB tickets, they may redeem discounts on two weekend passes.

The special promotion begins on Sunday, July 27 at 1 p.m. (when the museum opens) and ends on Friday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. (when the museum closes). Please note that this offer is available only in person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and cannot be redeemed online.

The MLB Speedway Classic is set to take place on August 2, 2025, marking the first-ever Major League Baseball game at Bristol Motor Speedway between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds. This exciting event will feature a pregame concert with Tim McGraw and Pitbull, as well as an interactive Fan Zone with live music and activities for all ages.

Tickets for the MLB Speedway Classic can be purchased at BristolMotorSpeedway.com.

2025 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion poster — Official Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2025 poster artwork | © Birthplace of Country Music, photographer: Ashli Linkous

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is scheduled for Sept. 19-21, 2025 on State Street in Historic Downtown Bristol. For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music and the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, please visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

While you’re visiting the museum, be sure and browse The Museum Store for one-of-kind gift items, including this year’s official Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival poster created by renowned Los Angeles-based illustrator and graphic designer Clay Hickson.

The festival poster is available in three distinct editions:

Standard Open Edition
Limited Edition Screen Print — 100 signed and numbered copies, printed in Virginia by Triple Stamp Press
Exclusive Gold Foil Screen Print — 50 signed and numbered copies, also printed by Triple Stamp Press

Raised amid the redwoods, apple orchards, and dairy farms of Northern California, Clay studied printmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His acclaimed work has been featured by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Netflix, Herman Miller, Bloomberg Businessweek, and PBS. He is also co-founder of Caboose Books, an independent publisher of limited edition artist prints and books. To check out more of the artist’s work, visit his website at ClayHickson.com.

Posters are on sale now at The Museum Store inside the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and online at BristolRhythm.com, where you’ll also find festival lineup details and ticket information.