Southern Pattern by Stuart Purser, 1941, the Delta Music Museum
The former post office is now home to the Delta Music Museum. The museum, which holds the distinction as the first Louisiana location marked with a Mississippi Blues Trail designation, currently showcases 30 artists from blues, soul, gospel and country musical genres. During the 1950s, these genres would converge in the delta to create the new sound of Rock and Roll and Rockabilly music.
Besides being a wealth of historical knowledge about delta music and artists, museum director Grantham Molnar is an accomplished muralist himself. His murals grace the walls of the historic Arcade Theater next door to the museum in downtown Ferriday. Normally, our stops at post offices rarely take more than 15 minutes, but we spent almost an hour touring the museum and the theater. He is currently working on a new mural across town, and plans for many more in an effort to revitalize the town and honor its rich history. It was definitely the best post office visit on our final push down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
If you’re ever near Ferriday, it’s a must-see exhibit. Molnar has an infectious delight in delta music and painting. Below are his murals from the Arcade Theater.
dispatchesfromkansas 