International Bluegrass Music Museum: the work (and shopping) goes on

The links on the right of the BIB now include one to the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) in Owensboro - a great place to visit if you're in west-central Kentucky, only half an hour's drive away from Bill Monroe's birthplace at Rosine, the site of the annual Jerusalem Ridge Celebration.

In June the Museum began a year-long exhibition focused on the international aspects of bluegrass, in addition to its major projects for preserving the history of the music and preparing its future. Gabrielle Gray, IBMM director of development, says: 'This is an exciting time for the future of bluegrass music - please help us spread the word about "Bluegrass in the Schools" [BITS], the Video Oral History Project, the Archive/Library Project, and ROMP Festival. It is only through the support of our members, donors, and sponsors that we are able to offer such enriching programs to the community and the world.' Ms Gray has been appointed to the new post of director of development, after a term as executive director in which the IBMM budget increased tenfold, and membership is nine times what it was in July 2006.

A recent IBMM acquisition is the Vega long-necked banjo of Pete Seeger, who is #100 to be interviewed in the museum's Video Oral History Project.

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New: Elizabeth Fuhrman Bragg, IBMM Curator, reports:

Hey everyone! We are now officially signed up at shopformuseums.com. Please remember to go there first when shopping online and we get a percentage of your purchases donated to the museum. I am attaching a list of participants [see the website] which also has the amount of purchase which is donated, usually between 2% and 5%. You just sign up on their website and then they direct you to the other websites from which you can shop. You just have to go to their site first; when they redirect you, most websites (like amazon.com) will know you and your lists etc. will be accessible! This does not cost you or the museum anything, so please remember us when you are completing your Christmas shopping.

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Gabrielle Gray reports:

ROMP has just been awarded first place in the Kentucky Parks and Recreation's competition for best Arts and Humanities Event in the State. Our mutually-produced event now advances to the national level next spring. This is the first time an event in this region of Kentucky has advanced to first in the state, so we have every reason to be proud.