Past Event

New Harmonies Opening - Macomb

Join us for the opening program of the New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music exhibit in Lena, Illinois.

The New Harmonies exhibition, provided by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street Program and the Illinois Humanities Council, examines the on-going cultural process that has made America the birthplace of more music than any place on earth. The exhibition provides a fascinating, inspiring, and toe-tapping listen to the American story of multi-cultural exchange and offers communities an opportunity to celebrate their music traditions as they come to understand the origins of various roots music genres including; blues, country and western, gospel, jazz and folk.

The Opening Ceremony will feature Chris Vallillo, folk musician and Illinois State Scholar for this project and is free and open to the public. After the show, a reception will be held at the Western Illinois Museum, where the exhibition will be open for viewing. The opening reception is hosted by Nostalgia Decorating Company.

Opening Ceremony Schedule:

  • 6:30pm: Doors Open at the West Central Illinois Arts Center (25 E Side Sq)
  • 7:00pm: Chris Vallillo Performs at the West Central Illinois Arts Center  (25 E Side Sq)
  • 8:00pm: Reception & Exhibition at the Western Illinois Museum (201 S Lafayette St)

New Harmonies will be on display in Macomb between October 23rd and December 5th. Open hours are: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm.

For more information, please contact the Western Illinois Museum at 309.837.2750.

More on New Harmonies
The New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music exhibit is a cultural history of America’s Musical Landscape. It’s the story of a diverse mix of people interacting with the New World, a world where cultures and customs met, mixed, and mingled to create new sounds. The distinct cultural identities of all these peoples are carried in song – both sacred and secular – and the music that emerges is known by names like blues, country, western, folk, and gospel.

Museum Hours: Tuesdays – Saturdays from 10:00am – 4:00pm

For more information, please contact the Western Illinois Museum at 309.837.2750.