Pine Bluff Downtown Development Inc. will receive a $39,650 T-Mobile Hometown Grant to help create a new landmark celebrating the Arkansas Delta’s rich musical heritage.
The Blues Junction Experience will feature a 20-foot monument, public art elements and interactive digital storytelling designed to anchor Pine Bluff’s Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District, according to a news release from T-Mobile. The community is invited to celebrate the grant by attending a presentation at 6 p.m. Friday at the UAPB Incubator, 615 Main St., during Catfish Friday Blues & Soul Night.
Blending technology, music history and public art, the installation will transform a historic block into a living museum experience, according to T-Mobile. It will connect visitors to more than a dozen documented blues heritage sites located within walking distance in downtown Pine Bluff.
“We are honored that Pine Bluff was selected as a T-Mobile Hometown Grant recipient from nearly 900 applicants nationwide,” Pine Bluff Mayor Vivian Flowers said in the release. “This investment will help advance the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District, which will become the largest outdoor gallery dedicated to Delta music and culture in the country and a key stop along the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway connecting Pine Bluff to Indianola, Miss. We are grateful to T-Mobile for investing in communities like ours.”
“The Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District is the trailhead to the first multi-state Music Highway, which ends at the B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Miss.,” said Michael McCray, public relations and cultural development specialist with the Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission. “Regional revitalization is a key tourism development strategy for our city and our growing cultural, arts and entertainment district. Thank you to T-Mobile for investing in the Arkansas Delta.”
T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants program has supported community-driven projects since launching in 2021. It has benefited a children’s library renovation in Sheridan, park improvements in Clarksville, a community gathering space in Osceola and downtown revitalization in Camden.