Participants in a Letterpress Workshop learn about the history of music posters (© Birthplace of Country Music; photo by Ashli Linkus)
If you follow the anniversary gift theme-by-year tradition, you’ll know that the theme for a 10th anniversary is tin. So, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum staff reached out to Tim Duffy at Music Maker Relief Foundation to take a very special tintype portrait of the museum.
Duffy is a modern-day tintype photographer. Tinype photography was the most popular form of photography in the late 19th century, and he uses that same technology today to create uniquely striking images. His exhibit,” Our Living Past: Platinum Portraits of Southern Music Makers,” was on display at the museum in 2021.
The museum staff are also planning a reception to celebrate the anniversary with food, music by Dave Eggar, and a behind-the-scenes look at the museum’s collection over the past 10 years, and an opportunity to see the original tintype Friday, Aug. 23.
Future plans for the museum include celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions in 2027. The museum hopes to create a special exhibit to mark this anniversary, and BCM will also host a variety of musical, educational and community-focused programs that celebrate the impact of the Sessions throughout the year.
In 2014 Joe and Cindy Gregory made a donation to BCM enabling the organization to acquire the building between the museum and the Bristol Hotel. The museum is applying for grants and raising funds so they can expand the museum into this space within the next few years. This will add 3,000 square feet of permanent exhibit space, enabling the museum to explore the story of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and beyond in more depth; a larger Special Exhibits Gallery (the current one will then turn into an event space); enhanced collections storage; and a large education area where K-12 and public programming can take place.
Once the museum has expanded into this new building, the next goal is to include a Smithsonian Spark!Lab (STEM-based experimentation and learning space) in the education area.
