While it has been a long time in the making and anticipation for the display has been high, the Smithsonian exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” will officially open Saturday.

The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History is the first of six locations for the statewide tour. The exhibit will open at 2 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring speeches by Mayor Deborah Cochran, Fifth District Rep. Virginia Foxx, Sen. Richard Burr and representatives of the exhibit. A public reception will follow.

“We are very pleased to be able to bring ‘New Harmonies’ to our area,” said Matt Edwards, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History’s executive director. “It allows us the opportunity to explore this fascinating aspect of our own region’s musical history, and we hope that it will inspire many to become even more involved in the rich cultural life of our community.”

During the six-week exhibition period, the museum will suspend its normal admission charge. All exhibits-related programs and events, including the Wednesday Lunch and Learn Series, Diddley Bow Workshop and Community Roots Music showcases will be presented at no charge to the public.

Through a selection of photographs, recordings, instruments, lyrics and artist profiles, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music” will explore the cultural identities of American roots music forms. The exhibition will examine the progression of American roots music. Other musical genres profiled include zydeco, tejano, bluegrass and klezmer. As a companion to the Smithsonian components, the museum has developed a series of local roots music exhibits featuring such artists as Tommy Jarrell, Ralph Epperson and WPAQ, and Donna Fargo.

Shelley Crisp, executive director of the North Carolina Humanities Council, which is a statewide non-profit and an affiliate for the National Endowment for the Humanities in North Carolina, visited the exhibit as it was being assembled at the museum Thursday morning. She said the N.C. Humanities Council is working with the Museum on Main Street, which is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), state humanities councils across the nation and local host institutions.

To learn more about these programs, visit www.sites.si.edu, www.nchumanities.org., www.museumonmainstreeet.org, call the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History at 786-4478 or visit online at www.northcarolinamuseum.org.

Mount Airy Museum of

Regional History

New Harmonies Opening Event Schedule

n 10 a.m. — Street-side jam sessions throughout downtown (weather permitting)

n 11 a.m. — Merry-Go-Round broadcast at the Downtown Cinema

n Noon — Hospitality suite opened to all visiting dignitaries

n 1:30 p.m. — Crowd and invited guests move from Cinema to the museum courtyard (weather permitting), bluegrass music by Back-Step

n 2 p.m. — Welcome and Introductions by Matt Edwards, executive director, Mount Airy Museum of Regional History

n 2:05 p.m. — Remarks from Deborah Cochran, mayor of Mount Airy

n 2:10 p.m. — Remarks from Dr. Shelley Crisp, executive director, North Carolina Humanities Council

n 2:15 p.m. — Remarks from Dr. Towny Ludington, chair of Trustees, North Carolina

Humanities Council

n 2:20 p.m. — Remarks from Terri Cobb, registrar, Smithsonian Institution

n 2:25 p.m. — Remarks from Secretary Linda Carlisle, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

n 2:30 p.m. — Remarks from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

n 2:35 p.m. — Remarks from Sen. Richard Burr

n 2:40 p.m. — Ribbon Cutting/Museum Opening

n 2:45-3:30 p.m. — Public reception with music by Back-Step

Ongoing Events

March 17

n Noon — Lunch and Learn — Melva Houston, Museum Annex Theatre

March 20

n 10-11:30 a.m. — Dulcimer classes — Alleghany County Library.



March 24

n Noon — Lunch and Learn — Mike Lowe, Museum Annex Theatre



March 26

n 10 a.m. — Surry Old-Time Fiddlers Convention at Surry Community College Event



March 31

n 2 p.m. — Lunch and Learn — Butch Parker, Museum Annex Theatre



April 7

n Noon — Lunch and Learn — Stevie Barr, Museum Annex Theatre

n 7-9 p.m. — Reinvigoration Concert — Creek Junction, Museum Annex



April 11

n 3 p.m. — “Samson and Delilah: From Pulpits to Pop Stars” presented by Road Scholar — Billy Stevens, Museum Annex



April 14

n 12 p.m. — Lunch and Learn — Chester and Nick McMillian of Back-Step, Museum Annex Theatre

n 2-4:30 p.m. — Diddley Bow Workshop — Mike Lowe, Museum Annex



April 21

n Noon — Lunch and Learn — Kelly Epperson and Mary Lee Epperson King, Museum Annex