National Blues Museum

As one of the only non-profit arts organizations in downtown St. Louis, the National Blues Museum (NBM) ensures that audiences have access to quality programming and relevant educational resources. NBM's concerts bring music to the public at accessible, centrally-located sites. Frequently called the "cultural gem" of St. Louis, the Museum brings people together from all over the world.

Museum and Exhibits: Visitors to the National Blues Museum (NBM) explore the blues from its roots in African oral and instrumental traditions, through its evolution during southern enslavement, to its transplantation from rural to urban environments as emancipated African Americans navigated the United States-escaping the Jim Crow south's systemic violence and seeking out new opportunities. Framed by race's pivotal role in American history, NBM's permanent exhibition examines the blues as a Black art form that influenced the evolution of all forms of American music.

Howlin' Fridays: Howlin' Fridays is NBM's premier concert series, offering the best in blues and Black heritage music (soul, R&B, funk, and more) from renowned local and touring performers. The series is hosted in NBM's state-of-the-art Legends Room concert space, graced by renowned artists like 2x Grammy-winner Bobby Rush.

Blues on the Block: NBM's free summer concert series, Blues on the Block, brings outdoor live music to the streets of downtown St. Louis. Hosted at the intersection of 6th and Washington, Blues on the Block creates a vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere where all St. Louisans can experience the thrill of a live blues performance without a cost barrier. Blues on the Block features fan-favorite bands and artistic demonstrations from multiple other disciplines, including dance, step, live painting, and spoken-word poetry.

Sittin' on the Porch Jam Session: Musicians require spaces where they can hone their craft, and NBM's Sittin' on the Porch jam session gives players of all musical backgrounds a chance to participate. Celebrating the oral tradition of blues, Sittin' on the Porch helps the next generation of players find their voice. As a free, regularly held community event, Sittin' on the Porch has become a cherished destination for both musicians and audience members.

Blues at the Arch: Held on the grounds of the iconic Gateway Arch, Blues at the Arch is the pinnacle of NBM's summer concert season. The free weekend-long festival is hosted in partnership with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation and features high-caliber touring and local performers. Blues at the Arch brings music to the heart of downtown St. Louis, reaching audiences who-given St. Louis's history of urban renewal and displacement-are often left underserved by arts organizations.

Education: NBM education initiatives have evolved over the last five years. NBM has been working with the St. Louis Public School District through an innovative method known as collective impact. Collective impact is an intentional way of working together and sharing information to solve complex problems. NBM brings our STEAM-based guitar-building curriculum that combines STEM-based learning with art, creating a playable guitar each student can keep. Our literacy programming brings culturally relevant books to students that will engage them and support reading rates in an underperforming school.

Research within the education field and with the knowledge of the challenges facing students and their families demonstrates that there is a need for programs that reach schools on a deep level, forgoing stand-alone and specialized programs for multifaceted forms of support. This collective impact initiative works to great backbone methods to sustain long-term capacity at the school. NBM is also working to create engaging school assemblies that entertain & educate and create a space for long-term mentorship and volunteer programs. NBM is working not just as an arts organization but as a community-focused pillar institution.