Plans have come together for the new National Museum of African American Music in downtown Nashville.
The $40 million, 56,000 square foot museum is a part of the 5th and Broadway development at the site of the old Nashville Convention Center.
The facility will feature 5 permanent galleries, a theater, a temporary exhibit gallery, and event space.
“We’re really excited,” said H. Beecher Hicks, III, with the National Museum of African American Music. “We’re building the collection, and refining the story, and moving things along. There’s lots of work to do.”
After a groundbreaking was held in April, plans have continued evolved. New design renderings show new details of the proposed site. Curators are working to collect items that will be featured in the museum. There are plans for collections from Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, among others.
There are also plans to feature technology and interactive exhibits. Hicks said the concept includes blending history, American history and American music.
“It’s a new twist on a museum,” said Hicks. “We want it to be a place where people young and old come and hang out, and then come back again.”
The old Nashville Convention Center will be torn down in the next couple of weeks. Construction on the museum will take about two years and it will open in late 2019.
The National Museum of African American Music Legends Luncheon is scheduled for June 1. It will be held at City Winery. It will honor Patti LaBelle, Kirk Franklin, Teddy Riley and David Porter.
