“Robert Johnson at the Crossroads” Sept. 19 Museum Moments

September Museum Moments at the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany will feature slide guitarist Wendy Garrison offering “Robert Johnson at the Crossroads” at noon on September 19. She will be joined by storyteller Rebecca Jernigan to retell the famous legend of the great Mississippi bluesman who sells his soul to the prince of darkness at the crossroads of the Mississippi Delta.

Garrison and Jernigan tandem tell the haunting tale with music, drama and sign language as a part of the Cast of Blues exhibit programming. Rebecca and Wendy have performed together across the state telling Mississippi’s stories.

Their visit is sponsored by the Union County Heritage Museum, Community Partners and funded by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council Speaker’s Bureau. The Humanities are for everyone and so the performance is free and open to the public.

Northside Historic District Garden Club will provide a light lunch beginning at 11:30 for the event.

Story teller Rebecca Jernigan and slide guitarist Wendy Garrison to perform.

Slide guitarist Wendy Garrison’s unique rendition of blues is representative of music drawn from her first-hand experience. Garrison is profiled in the Mississippi Arts Commission’s Mississippi Folk life& Folk Arts Directory as a red clay hills slide guitarist. The directory recognizes artists who have learned their craft through informal channels, are practicing an art typical of their own community, and are actively performing and creating new works. She honed her signature style as an apprentice to Mississippi Blues artist Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry, performing around North Mississippi with Perry and his band.

Rebecca Jernigan is an award winning storyteller who uses her experience as an actress and playwright to bring to life classical and original literature. No stranger to Union County, she has been a favorite at the library and the Tallahatchie Riverfest. She has performed and offered workshops throughout the region as well as for the DODDS schools in Europe and Bahrain. During a year of teaching in China, she offered workshops in drama and storytelling to augment her ESL lessons.

The museum is located at 114 Cleveland Street in New Albany. For more information call 662-538-0014.

Jill Smith
Director
Union County Heritage Museum
114 Cleveland Street
New Albany, MS 38652