City of Hopewell Supports Smithsonian Partnership

The City of Hopewell will be supporting the Smithsonian MOMs New Harmonies Roots music exhibit by allocating remaining funds from the 2007 Celebration. The partnership of the Appomattox Regional Library, Historic Hopewell and the Historic Beacon Theater are appreciative of the City's support of this incredible opportunity for Hopewell.

We will receive just over $15,000 in remaining funds to support the music and lecture series and programs, exhibit set up, marketing, research, local exhibit costs, and logistics of assembling and presenting an exhibit of Smithsonian quality. The grand opening of the exhibit will be April 12, 2008. On that day we will have a celebration of Roots music in our community with musical performances and a barbecue put on by our local Kiwanis Club.

Throughout the six weeks that the exhibit will be in Hopewell we will have concerts and lectures every Saturday afternoon to help define exactly what Roots music is.

MOMS = Museum On Main Street

MOMS is a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and state humanities councils nationwide that serves small town museums and their patrons. This innovative project provides one-of-a- kind access to prestigious Smithsonian exhibitions and first-rate educational humanities programs. Most importantly, Museum on Main Street allows rural museums to showcase their enormous talents and their meaningful contributions to small-town life. Like Museum on Main Street exhibitions, New Harmonies was specifically designed to meet the needs of small institutions.

New Harmonies is coming to Hopewell through the concerted effort and partnership of Historic Hopewell, the Historic Beacon Theatre, and the Appomattox Regional Library

Roots Music & Lecture Series for Smitsonian MOMS exhibit

During the weeks that the Appomattox Regional Library hosts the Smithsonian Exhibit we will have musical performances that will represent as many of the elements of the exhibit as possible. Not only will you be able to see the exhibit of Roots music but you will be able to listen to it and ask questions of the performers who keep it alive.

Update for the tentative dates of musical performances.

We have made contact with the following roots music groups who will be performing:

4/12 GRAND OPENING
Virginia Mass Choir - Gospel
Roanoke Jug Band - Old time jug band music
Cheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers - Blue grass with an attitude

4/19 Plum Jam Band - Cajun music you would hear on a Louisiana bayou

4/26 Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees - old time music,

5/3 Old School Freight Train - Blue grass, old time

5/10 Klezm'Or Amin - Klezmer

5/17 Aloha Y'all - Hawaiian southern style in the tradition of Hopewell's Tubize Royal Hawaiians

5/24 Chez Roue' Orchette - Blues

More details to come, but we are hoping to bring you more stay tuned