The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va., has been honored with the Award for Excellence for its exhibit I've Endured: Women in Old-Time Music by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in their 79th year, are the most prestigious recognition for achievements in preserving and interpreting state and local history in the United States.

"The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is one of only two institutions honored in Virginia this year," said AASLH Senior Manager of Professional Development and Publications, Aja Bain. "Tennessee also had two winners, so any way you slice it, it is a small and special group. I've Endured: Women in Old-Time Music beautifully exemplifies what it means to be a comprehensive, engaging, and community-focused history project in 2024. This exhibit brought people into the museum to be surrounded by artifacts that tell the story in the city where it all began. It also traveled to other sites in different states, sharing the story widely and enabling other communities to add their voices."

"We are thrilled to be recognized by AASLH with this prestigious honor," said museum Head Curator, Dr. Rene Rodgers. "I've Endured took years of research and dedication by our women-led content team to bring the project to life, and it has been so well-received both at home and on the road. We especially thank the talented and trailblazing women featured in the exhibit—many of whom are no longer with us. We are proud to give these unsung heroines a voice. Their fortitude and perseverance through challenges inspire us all."

I've Endured: Women in Old-Time Music opened at the museum in March 2023 and remained there until the end of that year; it is now traveling to other venues. The exhibit explores the stories of women who have influenced old-time, country, and bluegrass music over the decades, highlighting the challenges they faced in pursuing a music career and the ways contemporary female musicians innovate and push the genre's boundaries today. Featuring audio-visual elements, artifacts, objects, and text and image panels, the exhibit provides an educational and engaging experience for audiences. During its tenure in Bristol, the museum offered monthly programming to complement the exhibit. An extensive, content-rich website and related resources accompany the exhibit as it travels, allowing new content to be added at each location.

Although the museum has curated its own exhibits in the past, I've Endured is the first traveling exhibit designed by the institution. It spent three months this summer at the Museum of Regional History in Mt. Airy, N.C., before moving to the Oxford Area Historical Association in Pennsylvania in September; it will remain on display there through December 13. Next year, the exhibit will travel to Baltimore's Creative Alliance, the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Va., and the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, Tenn.

This year, AASLH conferred 47 national awards honoring individuals, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. The AASLH awards program, initiated in 1945, aims to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history across the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievements but also highlight opportunities for organizations, institutions, and programs—large and small—to contribute meaningfully to this field. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, visit www.aaslh.org.

For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, visit BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.