The singer/songwriter duo Count This Penny were the first artists to partner with the UT Libraries to create works of art to celebrate our unique collections.

Amanda and Allen Rigell (aka Count This Penny) composed two songs inspired by materials in the Wilma Dykeman and James R. Stokely Jr. Papers, which are preserved by and housed in the UT Libraries’ Special Collections department.

Those who attended our November 16th event in Special Collections heard the first public performance of those works. Now, Count This Penny’s songs “An Even Draw” and “Broad River” are available online for the public’s listening pleasure.

Watch the video below as we follow Amanda and Allen through the archives and into the recording studio throughout the production of these songs.

To continue the Boundless: Artists in the Archives series, the UT Libraries will periodically commission a work of art or music inspired by the unique items in our Special Collections and our Betsey B. Creekmore Archives.

We’re thrilled that the inaugural creations for Boundless: Artists in the Archives are now out there for the world to hear and enjoy. Thank you, Amanda and Allen and everyone involved in making these productions possible!