The Delta Blues Project

While shooting stories in Chicago and Memphis on assignment for National Geographic Traveler, photographer Gail Mooney gravitated to the blues clubs and became fascinated, not only with the music, but with the musicians themselves. Through her experiences she realized that an important era in Mississippi Delta history was slipping away. Many of the original bluesmen had already passed, and the youngest was already in his late 60s. With a sense of urgency to capture history, she set out to create a visual archive. The exhibit consists of still environmental portraits, landscapes, and a 20-minute film that laces together insightful interviews, performance footage, and scenes of the Delta region.