Governor Phil Bryant visited the Delta State University campus on Thursday [Jan. 3] to present a $1 million check to the Cleveland Music Foundation as the first installment for the establishment of GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi in Cleveland.
Lucy Janoush, president of the Cleveland Music Foundation, the non-profit entity set to build the museum, welcomed the large crowd gathered at the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni House and introduced Governor Bryant who immediately noted his Delta roots and expressed the importance of the project to the region and the state.
“The Delta is the home of American music and GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi will help the rest of the world recognize Mississippi’s contribution to American music culture,” said Bryant. “This, and similar projects, will have a wonderful cultural and economic impact on our state.”
Bryant thanked Senators Eugene “Buck” Clarke and Willie Simmons and Representative Tommy Taylor for their efforts on the project before stating, “This will be the largest grant for tourism ever in the state of Mississippi.”
GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi will be a world-class, 20,000 plus square foot facility dedicated to exploring the past, present and future of music and the cultural context from which it emerges. The museum’s permanent exhibition will utilize film, video, interactive kiosks and, of course, music.
The museum will be closely affiliated with the Delta Music Institute (DMI), Delta State’s accredited program of music industry studies, and will be located on a four-acre site on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland.
A student exchange program will be developed between GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi and GRAMMY Museum® at L.A. LIVE to offer qualified DMI students opportunities to earn college credit and interact with their counterparts at Los Angeles area colleges and universities.
"GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi represents not only a fantastic cultural attraction for our state, highlighting Mississippi’s amazing contribution to American music, but it will offer the next generation of young music industry professionals an exciting entry point into today’s music industry,” said DMI Director Tricia Walker.
GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi will be the first official GRAMMY® museum outside of Los Angeles, presenting a unique economic development opportunity for Mississippi. Partnering with one of the world’s most recognized brands will help cement the state’s claim as “The Birthplace of America’s Music.” Mississippi has invested in a number of projects to honor its unique culture and heritage; among them are the Mississippi Blues and Country Music Trail markers, the B.B. King Museum, the Delta Blues Museum and the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center.
“These projects continue to generate national and international press and have a direct impact on the number of visitors who choose Mississippi as their travel destination,” said Judson Thigpen, executive director of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce. “GRAMMY® Museum Mississippi will create another world-class attraction that will bring visitors from around the world to Cleveland and the Delta and will reinforce the state’s other music-themed attractions.”
For more information, contact the Delta State University Office of Communications and Marketing at 662-846-4675, commark@deltastate.edu.
