Delta Rhythm & Bayou Blues opening
The city of Pine Bluff will celebrate the grand opening of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous — Blues and Wellness Plaza on Friday at noon at Third Avenue and Main Street (Bobby Rush Way.)
The event marks the debut of Phase I in what will become the nation’s largest outdoor gallery dedicated to Delta music and culture. Highlights will include a live broadcast on Power 92 FM with host “Broadway Joe,” food trucks and live music by Port City Blues Society.
“The plaza showcases the rich musical traditions of the Arkansas Delta through innovative outdoor exhibits, interactive installations, and public art celebrating the region’s profound contributions to American music,” according to a news release.
The grand opening, timed as the capstone to Black History Month, represents a major milestone in Pine Bluff’s cultural heritage preservation and economic development efforts, according to the release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Pine Bluff sits at the heart of the Arkansas Delta, where bayou culture and musical traditions have been shared and passed down for generations,” said Mayor Vivian Flowers. “Opening the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Blues and Wellness Plaza is especially meaningful, as Delta music reflects Black history, American history, and a global cultural legacy. The rhythms born here helped shape the soundtrack of modern life, and this plaza gives Pine Bluff a place to celebrate that heritage while welcoming the nation and the world to experience our story.”
Phase I establishes the foundation for the project. Future phases will add additional exhibit areas exploring specific musical genres and artists, expanded performance venues, international Delta music connections integration with Pine Bluff’s bayou trail system, and partnership exhibits with museums and cultural institutions.
“The Delta Rhythm & Bayous — Blues and Wellness Plaza is more than an outdoor museum– it’s a living celebration of culture that’s still being created today,” said Jimmy Cunningham, tourism development director with the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission. “Visitors will eventually experience how the Arkansas Delta’s three longest bayous, its rich soil, and its people created musical traditions that changed the world. This is where geography, history, and culture converge to tell an American story.”
The Feb. 27 opening as the capstone for the 100ᵗʰ Black History Month honors the contributions of African American musicians and communities to Delta musical traditions. The plaza interpretation will explore:
The origins of the Blues from the social conditions of the south, African musical traditions preserved and transformed in the Delta, the Great Migration and spread of Delta music nationally, Gospel and spiritual traditions rooted in Delta churches, Blues as artistic expression and social commentary, cultural resilience and creativity in the face of oppression, and contemporary Delta artists continuing the tradition, according to the release.
“The 100th Black History Month is the perfect time to open this plaza because Delta music is Black history, American history, and world cultural history all intertwined,” said Sheri Storie, executive director of the A&P Commission. “The rhythms that started here in the Delta bayous and fields became the foundation for jazz, rock and roll, soul, hip-hop — the soundtrack of modern life. Pine Bluff is proud to preserve and celebrate this legacy.”
The plaza was made possible through partnerships with: Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance, Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (art department), Jefferson County, and city of Pine Bluff Economic & Community Development Department and Parks & Recreation Department.
Details: ExplorePineBluff.com or Jimmy Cunningham, tourism development director at (870) 534-2121 or jmmyjam@gmail.com.
‘Crime or No Crime’ topic at event
The Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration (PBICVR) Pastors on Patrol faith-based mentors will host an educational program on Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) titled “Crime or No Crime” Friday at 11:15 a.m. in the Watson Chapel High School Auditorium. Speakers will include Jefferson County Circuit Judge Jackie Harris and Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr.
This event is being held in collaboration with the Watson Chapel Wildcat Society Ladies and Gentlemen clubs. The program aims to educate students about gun violence, and identify criminal activity and its consequences, according to a news release.
Ivy Center plans events
The Ivy Center for Education announces programs:
March 3 — Future Medical Professionals, “Club Scrub Workshop,” meets from 6-7 p.m. at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS South Central Medical Center, 1601 W. 40th Ave. The topic will be From Plate to Purpose — “March is National Nutrition Month” presented by Tanya Hawkins, a registered nurse and case manager at UAMS South Central, according to a news release. Students in 7-12 grades and parents are encouraged to attend in person or on Zoom using Meeting ID: 856 8296 4187 and Passcode: 351061.
March 10 — Future Engineers Workshop will be held from 6-7 p.m. at The Generator, 435 S. Main St. The topic will be “Robots and Coding Activities” presented by Charles Colen, chair of the Department of Industrial Technology Management and Applied Engineering at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Students in grades 7–12 are invited to attend and learn about robotics and coding. Parents and students are encouraged to attend in person or on Zoom using Meeting ID 856 8296 4187 and Password 351061.