“I Know Why the Mockingbird Sings”

This year’s exhibition is 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. Murray says: 

“Joy is at the heart of my creative practice. My gears were turning for a theme that could convey the freedom that joy embodies, like the feeling of an uncaged bird taking flight… A title with a twist on Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) came shortly after.”  

EXHIBITION STATEMENT

In Appalachia, where memories move through mountains and stories echo through hollers, joy speaks volumes. It can be an act of devotion, a gesture of defiance, a quiet promise we make to ourselves. For this call photographers were asked to lean into moments that heal, harmonize, uplift, and unburden. They were asked to let their lenses sing and what arrived was a chorus. 

Whether carved in solitude, shaped by community, inspired by nature, or nurtured through craft, joy takes root. I saw it rolling like clouds across a mountain ridge, shimmering in cool creek water, and glowing in the fiery colors of fall. It appeared in foraged treasures collected tenderly by hand, in the breathtaking stillness of hills, in the magic of season shifts, and the sweetness of a butterfly drifting towards nectar.

Joy shows up in people, too. It’s there in a warm embrace, in a familiar face, in queer Appalachian togetherness, and in the simple freedom of a hand waving through the wind. As a native Tennessean, I know these mountains as both mirror and prism. They hold space for us, just as we hold space for each other. 

It has been an honor to witness such cherished moments. May this collection remind us that joy, in all its forms, continues to hum a tune in Appalachia. I Know Why The Mockingbird Sings…to remind us that little moments can hold big feelings, and that joy often reveals itself to anyone who will listen.

• Ty Murray, Juror

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.

The 23rd AMPC exhibition will open Friday, February 6, 2026 with a public reception that evening featuring an ARTtalk, awards announcements, and DJ session with the Juror, Ty Murray/DJ Soularia. 

People’s Choice voting will take place in-person in the gallery, and the winner will be announced virtually on March 23, 2026. In addition to the awards reception and ARTtalk with the juror, an ongoing collaborative playlist will be available throughout the duration of the exhibition, as well as a virtual call and response writing group through The Bottom in Knoxville, TN on March 25, 2026. The exhibition will be on view through May 2, 2026. 

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Mast General Store, Appalachian Voices, Bistro Roca, Footsloggers Outfitters, Peabody’s, and Stickboy Bread.