Visitors to the Charles Vess exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum
In April, friends and patrons of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum gathered for the opening reception for the new special exhibit, “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads.”
Rene Rodgers, museum director, opened up the evening with a teaser of what to expect and words of special thanks to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum staff who worked on the exhibit.
“It was an honor to work on my first special exhibit representing the talented Charles Vess,” said Kaitlyn Siejka, marketing specialist. “I always enjoy seeing projects come to life after hours of designing and formatting, so it was especially meaningful at a scale I hadn’t experienced before for an incredible exhibit.”
The exhibit, “Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads,” features seven ballads reimagined by some of the greatest fantasy writers of our time. The featured graphic novels, including “Thomas the Rhymer” by Sharyn McCrumb, “The Galtee Farmer” by Jeff Smith,and “Barbara Allen” by Midori Snyder, are an excellent introduction to traditional ballads for those not yet familiar and a special treat for those who already are.
“The opening reception for ‘Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads’ was a magical evening,” said Erika Barker, curator of exhibits and outreach. “Initial planning for this exhibit began before the pandemic, so it was very rewarding to finally see it come to life in the gallery. We wanted to present Charles’s work in a manner that reflected his art style, and the result is an exhibit unlike any we have had before. It was a joy to celebrate the moment with Charles and so many others. A highlight of the evening was when local harpist and balladeer Sandra Parker stepped into the gallery to serenade us with a rendition of ‘Barbara Allen’ while standing in front of Charles’s illustrated depiction of that ballad in the exhibit.”
Guests had the opportunity to meet and hear from artist Charles Vess and learn about how he was first introduced to ballads and what inspired him to illustrate the graphic novels displayed on the walls of the Special Exhibits Gallery.
Vess is a well-known illustrator of mythic fiction. Born in Virginia, he began his career working on Marvel’s “Spider-Man” followed by work for other graphic novels and illustrated books at publishing houses such as Tor, Harper, Abrams and Subterranean Press while living in New York City.
Vess’ artwork has also been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He has won two Hugo, four World Fantasy, three Chesley, six Locus, one Mythopoeic, and two Will Eisner awards for Best Artist over the years.
“After a wonderful opening reception, we are thrilled to have ‘Charles Vess: The Book of Ballads’ now open to the public,” said Rodgers. “Traditional ballads are central to Appalachia, and his artistic vision of these story-songs is sure to spark the imagination of our visitors. This exhibit not only connects music and art, but it gives the museum the chance to celebrate and support an important artist in our region.”
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission to the special exhibits gallery is $5. Children ages five and under are free.
