Film Screening: “I’ve Endured”: The Music and Legacy of Ola Belle Reed

Date: Monday, August 28, 2023

Time: 6:30 p.m. EST

Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum Performance Theater with virtual Q&A to follow

Cost: Free and open to the public but please register HERE

Join us on Monday, August 28, 6:30 p.m. for a special preview screening of “I’ve Endured”: The Music and Legacy of Ola Belle Reed, a 45-minute documentary exploring the life and work of nationally recognized bluegrass and old-time musician Ola Bell Campbell Reed (1916-2002). This film was made in conjunction with Ola Belle Reed and the Southern Diaspora, an exhibit at the University of Maryland Baltimore County that contextualizes Reed’s achievements within a history of migration from rural Appalachia north in the 20th century. Containing interviews, performances, and archival footage, this documentary will provide a deeper understanding of the legacy and impact of Reed, whose songwriting and performances have been immensely influential on the musicians who knew and followed her.

The film screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with scholar and filmmaker Bill Shewbridge.

This program is complementary programming to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music exhibit, on display through December 31, 2023. This exhibit has been funded in part by grants from Virginia Humanities, the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation, and the IBMA Foundation, along with local women-led business sponsorship from Friends of Southwest Virginia, The Crooked Road, Artemis Consulting Services, LLC, Bristol Ballet, Suzi Griffin (Studio 6), Kim Sproles (KS Promotions), and Kayla Stevenson (Matte Nail Bar). East Tennessee Foundation Arts Fund provided grant funding for related public programming, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation provided grant funding for the exhibit’s website.

For more information about the film, check out https://www.olabellefilm.org/olabelle/.