Nearly three years after it opened, the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archive in Davenport has its first director. Nathan Kraft began working, on a part-time basis, earlier this month.
Kraft recently earned a Masters Degree in Museum Studies from Western Illinois University, and has worked for Quad City Arts, the Figge Art Museum, and the Davenport School Museum.
His goal for the Bix Museum is to go beyond just the exhibits in the basement of the RME, and start offering programs.
"I want to help the museum get more involved in music education in the Quad Cities. We have the Bix Youth Band that does that, and I want to get more inovlved with things like that. I want to help get more involved in the Bix Fest, and also the race with the street fest."
Kraft says his main background is in art history, but he's working hard to learn about Bix and jazz music, and "learning as I go."
The Bix Museum opened in 2017. It's open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday by appointment.