Harlem Renaissance and Blues: 20th Century & Black Art
The Harlem Renaissance began in the Harlem neighborhood in New York City as a Black cultural center in the early 20th century. A social and artistic explosion lasted from the […]
Blues Is Alive Everywhere
The National Blues Museum explores the Blues and celebrates the genre as the foundation of modern American music. From EDM to the Beatles, Blues has touched many artists’ lives. Its […]
Blues In Art: Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden was an African-American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many media types, including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New […]
National Blues Museum Spotify Playlists
The National Blues Museum is now on Spotify! To find us, either search for NationalBluesMuseum on Spotify or click the link below. Our staff is working to curate many different […]
Have Blues Will Travel Exhibition: Driving While Black
The National Blues Museum is proud to announce our latest exhibition, Have Blues Will Travel. This exhibition showcases the hardships and inequality Black Blues musicians faced while traveling to play concerts in […]
Cookin’ Blues
Mashed Potato U.S.A. Mashed potatoes are a well-known American food. Mashed potatoes became a staple in America around the 1700s because potatoes were affordable and easy to grow. They were […]
Cookin’ Blues: Lemon Pound Cake
Cake Walking’ Blues’ Do you know the origins of the Cakewalk? The Cakewalk has its origins on slave plantations before the Civil War, with slaves participating in an elaborate dance […]
Cookin’ Blues: Fried Catfish
Catfish Blues Cookin’ with the Blues is a 3-part segment featuring three dishes found in Blues songs and are staples in the American South. The dish is a staple in […]
Welcome to Our Home: The Stix, Baer, and Fuller Building
Sitting on Washington Ave between 6th and 7th Streets, the National Blues Museum resides in what was initially known as the Grand-Leader building, most known today as the Stix, Baer, […]
Behind the Scenes at the National Blues Museum
The National Blues Museum showcases a contemporary exhibit with many digital interactives, rather than your traditional object-centered history museum. Visitors learn about the Blues’ rich history and explore aspects of […]
What’s in a Name?: Bo Diddley and His Bo Diddley Beat
Bo Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates in Mississippi, on December 30, 1928. After his father’s death at just seven years old, Ellas moved up to Chicago with his aunt, […]
National Blues Museum History
St. Louis influenced the Blues as it sat right along the Blues Highway, Highway 61. Historically, musicians stopped and performed in St. Louis as they traveled from the South to […]
Stories of the Crossroads: Blues Myths
Did Robert Johnson Really Sell His Soul to the Devil? One night at a Mississippi juke joint in 1930, Son House and Willie Brown played their infamous Delta Blues tunes […]
National Blues Museum COVID – 19 Plan
Visitors An inherent risk of exposure to respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead […]
