Your Tennessee State Museum presents two special programs this month that are free and open to the public. Each program is about a book that reveals aspects of Tennessee history that originally manifested a century ago —- suffrage and the Grand Ole Opry.

On Thursday, August 21, enjoy “Lunch and Learn: 100 Years of Grand Ole Opry.” The Grand Ole Opry features today’s country music stars, superstars, and rising stars all on one stage, every week in Nashville, Tennessee — Music City, USA. Their world-famous show is where aspiring stars dream of playing and music lovers connect with their favorite artists up close at the Opry House. From the radio show that made it famous in 1925 to the cultural landmark and global phenomenon it is today, the Opry is the country’s biggest stage.

In this Lunch and Learn event, author Craig Shelburne will discuss his new book, “100 Years of Grand Ole Opry: A Celebration of the Artists, the Fans, and the Home of Country Music.” He will be joined by Tennessee State Museum’s Ryan Dooley, senior curator of music, and Emily Frans, Director of Archives and Content Management at the Opry Entertainment Group.

​Craig Shelburne grew up in rural Nebraska watching the Grand Ole Opry on TNN. He moved to Nashville in 1994 and earned a journalism degree from Belmont University. He has written for the Bluegrass Situation, CMT.com, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Folk Alliance International, International Bluegrass Music Association, MusicRow magazine, and many other outlets. In addition, he has produced three AMERICANAFEST music festivals for the Americana Music Association. This is his first book.

Ryan Dooley is a music historian living in Nashville. He studied bluegrass, old time, and country music at East Tennessee State University and received his MA in History from Middle Tennessee State University. Dooley’s area of focus is on Atlantic history and the music of enslaved peoples in the Americas. Ryan is the Senior Curator of Music at the Tennessee State Museum.

Emily Frans is Director of Archives and Content Management at the Opry Entertainment Group.

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at 12:00 Noon. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum’s website at TNMuseum.org/Videos. If you have any questions, please email Public.Programs@tn.gov.Boxed lunches made by Apple Spice Nashville are available for purchase for $12.24 to enjoy during the event. The lunches will include a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Lunch orders must be placed by noon on Tuesday August 19, 2025. Please order your boxed lunch on the TSM website.

“Storytime: Camilla Can Vote” is Saturday, August 23, from 10:30 AM – 12:00 Noon. Join the Tennessee State Museum in celebrating the 105th year of the passing of the 19th Amendment. Authors Mary Morgan Ketchel and Senator Marsha Blackburn will be reading their book “Camilla Can Vote” during a special Storytime event.

In the story, Camilla is a young girl who gets to see history being made. Camilla thinks she is just taking a field trip to the museum, but it turns into an adventure when she is transported back to the Tennessee State Capitol on August 18th, 1920. Camilla gets a front row seat to the deciding vote for Suffrage.

After Storytime, children are encouraged to create their own suffrage banner craft. The authors will also be on hand to sign copies of their book, available for sale in the Museum Store. This event is free and open to the public. For any questions, please email Public.Programs@tn.gov.

Mary Morgan Blackburn Ketchel feels particularly connected to the women’s suffrage movement. She was able to exercise her right to vote for her own mother to become the first woman elected to Congress, and then to the Senate, in her home state of Tennessee.

Women gained the hard-fought right to vote just 100 years ago. The suffragists were mothers and daughters who changed history for mothers and daughters. She hopes “Camilla Can Vote” tells this amazing story to as many little girls as she can reach. Her mother and co-author Marsha Blackburn is currently a member of the United States Senate.