An ARTtalk panel will begin at 5:00pm, followed by the presentation of awards. The audience is then invited upstairs to a DJ set from 7:00-8:00pm with Ty Murray/DJ Soularia.
This year’s exhibition will be juried by Ty Murray, artivist and Director of Art & Communications at The Bottom, a nonprofit cultural organization in Knoxville, TN, who chose, “I Know Why the Mockingbird Sings” as this year’s exhibition theme.
In Appalachia, where memories move through mountains and stories echo through hollers, joy can be an act of devotion or defiance. This year’s theme invites photographers to tune into the moments that heal, harmonize, uplift and unburden.
ABOUT THE JUROR
A Renaissance woman rooted in the Appalachian South, Ty Murray views herself first and foremost as a storyteller. Whether behind the lens, spinning vinyl, shaping clay, or simply bearing witness to the world around her, her practice dances at the intersections of creativity and critical thought. Grounded in artivism, her work invites you to feel, think, and move, sometimes all at once.
Photography, for Ty, is an act of presence and praise. With a deep reverence for both scenery and identity, she crafts visual narratives that celebrate the beauty of land, body, and culture. Led by innate curiosity, she seeks to explore, interact, document, and uncover “the overlooked”. Inspired by the spirit of Expressionism, she photographs in living color, producing images that convey movement, vibrance and soul.
Beyond the lens, Ty serves as a community worker, tradition bearer and art director for The Bottom in Knoxville, TN. She curates sensory experiences that honor the past and envision liberated futures. Across all her creative practices, Ty honors art as a force for connection, empowerment, and communal healing.
