Portraits of leading blues musicians of the 20th and 21st century will be part of a colorful, new exhibit at the National Blues Museum in downtown St. Louis.
The “Happy to Have the Blues” exhibit will feature portraits by Big City Rhythm & Blues publisher and editor-in-chief Robert Jr. Whitall, whose work emphasizes the bold energy and unique style reflected in each of his colorful and audacious subjects.
The exhibition opens Friday, June 14, at the museum’s Scott and Diane McCuaig and Family Room and runs through Thursday, Sept. 3.
Iconic musicians of the genre, such as Mavis Staples, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Ruthie Foster, Buddy Guy, Samantha Fish and Otis Clay, will be on display. In addition, the exhibit includes reflections of artists whose musical voice was deeply influenced by the blues, from Elvis Presley and Carlos Santana to Chuck Berry and Aretha Franklin.
At Big City Rhythm & Blues, Whitall leads a team which crosses the country to cover major blues events, from the Mississippi Delta to New York, LA, Chicago, Memphis and beyond. Since founding the magazine in 1995, Whitall has interviewed some of the blues’ most important figures. As an artist, he has captured the personalities of many great musicians, as well as legendary figures from the past, in a folk/outsider art style that has been compared to Basquiat and Grandma Moses.
“We’re very excited to show our guests from around the world and around St. Louis some of the brilliant personalities that make blues in America today so exciting,” National Blues Museum deputy director Erin Mahony said. “Robert Jr. Whitall has been capturing stories of the blues as a journalist for decades. It’s only natural that his understanding of these brilliant figures should translate into such vibrant pieces of art.”
Visitors of the National Blues Museum on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis can see the exhibit as part of the price of a regular admission ticket or in conjunction with one of the museum’s regular Howlin’ Friday evening concerts. (The museum remains open until 8 p.m. on Fridays so that 7 p.m. concert attendees can also visit the museum.) Upcoming Howlin’ Friday concerts include: Kingdom Brothers (June 21) and HyC and the Fresh Start Band (June 28). All concerts are held in the Lumière Place Legends Room.
For more information on the National Blues Museum, visit nationalbluesmuseum.org.
