NASHVILLE — The Tennessee State Museum will host its Statehood Day celebration on Saturday, May 30, 2024, kicking off summer programming tied to Tennessee’s 230th birthday. The event, held at the museum in Nashville, will feature artwork, live performances, and the premiere of a new documentary titled 'A Grand Design: Captain Le Roy Reeves and the Tennessee State Flag.'

Tennessee officially celebrates its statehood on June 1, marking 230 years since admission to the Union. Jeff Sellers, director of education and public programs at the museum, said, "So this is a day, June 1st, that we celebrate as our statehood day. This year we're really using that Saturday, May 30th, as our big kickoff to the summer programming series with a huge event here at the State Museum."

The documentary explores the story of Captain Le Roy Reeves, the Johnson City man who designed Tennessee’s iconic Tri-Star flag. Sellers noted the flag was first displayed in Johnson City, not at the Capitol in Nashville, and emphasized the museum’s role in preserving this history, saying, "You very well know, I'm sure, the TriStar and how ubiquitous it is around our state. Well, we have that original flag in the collection of the State Museum." He added, "And so you learn all about his motivation, who he was and how the Tri-Star goes from this one person's design to being seen all over the place and all across the state and it's become recognizable anywhere you see it in the nation and world."

Museum visitor Brandon Russell attended with his third-grade son. "It's important because we can learn from our past and hopefully grow from it," Russell said.