The Dr. and Mrs. T. B. Boyd III and Family Feature Gallery is our largest temporary exhibition space, spanning 2,500 square feet and designed to host immersive, large-scale installations. Nearby, the Lobby Wall Cases—four vertical glass displays—feature curated series such as Living Legends and Roots Uncovered, offering focused looks at individual artists and themes. Our Donation Corner presents newly acquired artifacts in a 10-foot glass enclosure, giving visitors a glimpse into the museum’s growing collection.
NMAAM also extends its reach beyond our walls through multiple exhibition platforms. Jubilation!, our first-ever national traveling exhibition, celebrates the legacy of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and their transformative impact on American music and culture. Supported by the Lilly Endowment, this groundbreaking exhibition brings NMAAM’s mission to audiences across the country.
Our digital exhibitions leverage technology to explore contemporary connections between Black music and culture, reaching global audiences online. Additionally, NMAAM curates rotating offsite installations at partner locations throughout Nashville, showcasing artifacts and stories in collaboration with cultural institutions like Vanderbilt University.
These evolving spaces—inside the museum, across Nashville, nationwide, and online—allow us to present a rich, ever-changing experience that celebrates African American music heritage wherever audiences are.
March 19, 2026 – Present
Mrs. Tibby Christenberry and the Bolton Family donated a workbook and a set of sheet music to NMAAM’s permanent collection. The song, “We Will All Rise Together,” was collected by Dorothy Gray Bolton (Christenberry’s great-grandmother) and arranged by famed African American composer, Harry Thacker Burleigh. The sheet music was notated by Burleigh in collaboration with Bolton.
Mar 26, 2026 – Present
Woven Wind is a multi-layered artistic endeavor grounded in critical research on the Lovell-Quitman archive, located at the William R. Laurie University Archives and Special Collections Library at Swanee, University of the South. Extensive plantation records, photographs, and objects found in the archive document the lives of the officer William Storrow Lovell and wife Antonia, whose father was John A. Quitman (1799 – 1858), a large slaveowner and former governor of Mississippi.
January 19, 2026 – Present
Discover Uncovering Roots: The McCrary Sisters at NMAAM. The McCrary Sisters are a Nashville-based gospel group formed in 2010, known for their powerful harmonies and energetic sound rooted in their church upbringing.
February 2026 – Present
Experience The Soundtrack of the Pitch, a groundbreaking digital collaboration between NMAAM and Black Players for Change that explores the powerful connection between Black musical traditions and soccer. Featuring curated Sonic Profiles of Miles Robinson, Jeremy Ebobisse, Nkosi Tafari, Emeka Eneli, and Justin Morrow, plus exclusive playlists that celebrate how Black creativity transcends from the recording studio to the pitch.