Marty Stuart Photography Exhibit “American Ballads” Ends Jan. 31 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
BRISTOL, TN/VA – Grammy Award-winning country music star Marty Stuart's exhibit of black-and-white photos in “American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart” is on display until Jan. 31 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Marty Stuart has taken photographs of the people and places surrounding him since he first went on tour with bluegrass performer Lester Flatt at age 13. His inspirations include his mother, Hilda Stuart, and her documentation of their family’s everyday life in Mississippi. He also admires bassist Milt Hinton’s photographs of fellow jazz artists and Edward Curtis’s well-known images of Native Americans at the turn of the 20th century.
Stuart’s photographs in “American Ballads” are organized around three themes: “The Masters” depicts a number of well-known stars in moments of unguarded intimacy and honesty. “Blue Line Hotshots” captures the essence of unique townspeople Stuart has met on his travels, all eccentric characters from the back roads of America. “Badlands” explores the everyday life and traditional ceremonies of the Lakota people and their culture on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota; Stuart was first introduced to the Lakota people by his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash.
As part of the museum's companion programming to “American Ballads,” there will be a screening of the award-winning documentary film “Rising Voices / Hothaninpi: Revitalizing the Lakota Language” 6:30 p.m. ET Jan. 16 in the Performance Theater at the museum. The screening is free and open to the public. The documentary tells the story of the Lakota tribe's fight to keep their native language safe from extinction and includes four short films by Lakota filmmakers made especially to complement the story.
“American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart” was organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee. Special thanks to The Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their support of the exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
For more information, visit www.BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
About the Birthplace of Country Music
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, explores the history of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and their lasting impact on our music heritage. From the Bristol Sessions and beyond, our region continues to influence music around the world.
The 24,000 square foot museum is located at 101 Country Music Way (corner of Moore & Cumberland Streets) in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia. Through multiple theater experiences, film and sound, and interactive, technology-infused displays—along with a variety of educational programs, music programs, and community events—the exciting story of this music and its far-reaching influence comes alive. Rotating exhibitions from guest curators and other institutions, including the Smithsonian, will be featured throughout the year in the Special Exhibits Gallery.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is open
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.
and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The museum is closed on Mondays and most major holidays; call ahead for clarification at 423-573-1927.
Admission is $13.65 for adults, $11.55 for seniors, students, military, and children ages 6—17. Children 5 and under are free. Discounts are also available for groups of 20 or more. Admission prices include Virginia admission tax.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a Blue Star Museum. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America and offers free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
For more information, visit www.BirthplaceofCountryMusic.org.