Durham, NC — Grammy-nominated NC musician Tift Merritt is curating a Duke Arts concert series at American Tobacco Campus in Durham this September. The 2026 season focuses on the women whose music, example and creative independence have shaped generations of artists.

The series takes place beneath American Tobacco’s Lucky Strike Water Tower, with performances beginning at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday. The concerts are free and open to the public, with no registration or tickets required.

Merritt described the concept as a “thank you letter” to the lineage of women who have told their stories through music.

The 2026 lineup

September 9 - Patty Griffin

The series opens with two-time Grammy Award winner Patty Griffin, whose catalog spans folk, Americana and roots music. Griffin has spent more than two decades writing songs centered on everyday experiences and larger questions of love, loss and resilience. Her self-titled 2019 album won the Grammy for Best Folk Album, and she has also received the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting.

September 16 - Kaia Kater

Banjoist and songwriter Kaia Kater takes the stage the following week. Kater blends folk, bluegrass and contemporary roots music, often drawing on questions of heritage, identity and home. Her work has included music for film and television, and her NPR Tiny Desk performance helped introduce her music to a wider audience.

September 23 - Ken Pomeroy

Cherokee songwriter Ken Pomeroy performs September 23. His songs draw from folk and Americana traditions, with poetic writing informed by personal experience and Native storytelling. His music has reached television and film audiences through appearances on the Reservation Dogs soundtrack.

September 30 - Madison Cunningham

Madison Cunningham closes the series on September 30. The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist moves between folk, rock and art-pop, with intricate guitar work and layered arrangements at the center of her music. Her 2022 album Revealer won the Grammy for Best Folk Album.

The American Tobacco series is part of Duke Arts’ broader 2026–27 season, Our Common Home, and is also included in Duke and Durham’s We the People initiative, which marks the nation’s 250th anniversary through arts and public programming examining American identity and the people who have shaped it.

For those planning to attend, the concerts run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. beneath the Lucky Strike Water Tower. Duke Arts recommends arriving early and bringing a lawn chair or blanket. The series is free, all ages are welcome, and American Tobacco Campus’s restaurants and bars provide plenty of options for making an evening of it before or after the music.

For more information visit Duke Arts.