The Two Mississippi Museums have been named the winner of the 2023 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Exhibition Competition’s Bronze Award for its The World of Marty Stuart exhibit.
The exhibit featured hundreds of never-before-seen items that Stuart had collected from musicians like Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Johnny Cash throughout 2022. Other showcased items included guitars from Merle Haggard and Pops Staples, costumes from Port Wagoner, some of Stuart’s own personal items, and more.
SEMC presented the award to the staff of the Two Mississippi Museums at its annual awards luncheon on November 15 in Louisville, Ky.
“We are very proud of the staff who worked creatively and diligently to produce this beautiful exhibit that showcased a significant part of the amazing county music collection of musician and artist Marty Stuart,” Katie Blount, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), stated. “MDAH is honored to be celebrated for sharing stories of the region’s culture and history.”
The award, which was in the “Over $100,000 Budget” category, is given to museums that demonstrate a commitment to best practices and professional standards in exhibition design. In all, the Exhibition Competition received 29 entries from 27 institutions.
Award winners will be announced in the Fall 2023 edition of INSIDE SEMC, a digital publication of the Southeastern Museums Conference.
