Wed, Dec. 4 thru Sun, Dec. 8, 2019
Music Maker 25 is made possible, in part, with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Music Maker 25 is proud to be a part of Come Hear NC and the Year of Music in North Carolina, as well as the Smithsonian Year of Music.
For 25 years, Music Maker Relief Foundation — a groundbreaking nonprofit based in Hillsborough, NC — has ensured that the voices of hundreds of extraordinary, often unheralded, blues and folk musicians are not silenced by poverty or time. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Music Maker and Duke Performances team up for a weeklong music series and exhibition at The Fruit in downtown Durham, spotlighting the pioneering contributions of these musicians and the rich musical traditions of the South.
In addition to its extensive musical offerings, this celebration of Music Maker will bring to Duke and Durham a variety of free public events, including a public conversation; an exhibit featuring Music Maker co-founder Timothy Duffy’s tintype photography at Duke’s Rubenstein Arts Center; a tintype workshop with students in Duke’s MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts program; a film screening and Q&A with Music Maker artist Lonnie Holley; and an immersive exhibit at The Fruit chronicling the last twenty-five years of Music Maker through photos, archival materials, and instruments from the foundation’s vast collection.