The Blues Bank Collective

The Blues Bank Collective, one of the oldest Blues education organizations in the world, was founded in January, 1985 by renowned African American History scholar Valerie Cunningham and accomplished Blues musician, T.J. Wheeler.

The Blues Bank Collective is a W.C.Handy Award winning blues education organization whose mission is:

To further awareness of Blues Music and its African American heritage

To show the historic context that gave birth to the Blues

To use the music as a means of positive social change
And, whenever possible, to eliminate all forms of racism, intolerance and prejudice.

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:
The Portsmouth Blues Festival
New England's oldest Blues Festival. Each summer our major fundraiser features international Blues stars such as Bobby "Blue" Bland, Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins and Mose Allison, as well as the finest in regional Blues talent. The Portsmouth Blues Festival has maintained a level of artistic excellence seldom found.

Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.
A self-guided walking tour around scenic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is one of only a few such trails
in the Northeast. Under the direction and scholarship of BBC's first president, Valerie Cunningham, the Trail offers visitors an important window into the often untold stories of Black history.
The Blues Bank Collective was a founding partner of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail and regularly contributes both financially and "Blues Power" in support of the Trail's educational mission.

Hope, Heroes & the Blues
A multicultural studies program created and led by BBC's executive director and WC Handy Award winner, T. J. Wheeler.
The program has touched the lives of over 165,000 school children nationally and internationally.
Though music and workshops, using the examples of countless Blues musicians thoughout history, children learn how these figures overcame such obstacles as racism and poverty to create the foundation of twentieth century American music. And, like all heroes, they are held as examples of what we all can do in our own lives.

Blues Bank Collective Board Members
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , Executive Director
Mary Ann Drapcho, Treasurer
Patricia English, Secretary
Valerie Cunningham
Gene Hill

Advisory Board
Bruce Pingree
Alan Chase
Bob Trask
Thomasina Downing