The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center has been awarded an $11,100 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC).
This grant is a portion of the approximately $441,100 in CARES Act COVID-19 recovery funding MAC received from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant awarded to B.B. King Museum will be used to offset staff salaries and operations expenses.
Using funds from the CARES Act, The National Endowment for the Arts awarded almost $30 million to the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia and several territories including Puerto Rico. A state arts agency, MAC established the MAC CARES Emergency Grants Program to distribute these funds and provide economic relief as quickly as possible while focusing assistance on independent arts organizations with staff.
“We are incredibly grateful to Congress, the President, and the NEA for providing this much -needed recovery funding for the arts,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “Like much of the economy, the arts sector in Mississippi and the nation have faced significant challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Closing facilities and canceling events equates to lost revenue. We are thankful that the federal government has recognized this need and has responded.”
The vision of the B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center is to Inspire Hope, Creativity and Greatness. Mission: Through the story of B.B. King, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center empowers, unites and heals through music, art and education and shares with the world the rich cultural heritage of the Mississippi Delta.
The exhibitions examine what it is about the region's potent mix of cultural traditions, social, racial, and economic tensions, family bonds, and religion that molded so many great musicians ... and that produced B.B. King in particular.
The site, collections, exhibitions and programs have an authentic and powerful historic connection to B.B. King, to the community, to the Delta blues, and the heritage of Mississippi and the American South. In tum, the BBKM connects the community to the arts through its programming for children and adults, and to the larger world beyond the Delta by bringing visitors from around the globe to view the exhibits and experience cultural events..
The Museum sees its role not just as preserver of history, but also as a place for the community to convene to discuss, learn, explore important issues and have fun together.
