Hands in Harmony is a photographic exploration of the makers of Appalachian folk music and traditional handcrafts by photographer Tim Barnwell. The exhibition includes approximately 30 black-and-white photographic portraits of well-known figures in the Appalachian music and crafts communities and images of some who are not as well known.The images are drawn from Barnwell's three decades in photography. They speak to the beauty and uniqueness of handmade objects and their creators as well as the musical heritage carried on by the traditional musicians of the region.
Barnwell (1955 - ) was born in Franklin, North Carolina. He started taking photographs at age 10, when he bought a camera from his uncle. He served as Executive Director of the Appalachian Photographic Workshops based in Asheville, NC from 1980 to 1988. Barnwell's background is photojournalism: he has had over 60 articles and 1,000 photographs published to date. Barnwell was the juror for Slow Exposures in 2009 as well as presenting a workshop during the show.
Barnwell's work has been widely exhibited and is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asheville Art Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Greenville County Museum of Art, Western Carolina University, Mars Hill College and R.J. Reynolds Industries. His book, Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia was published by W.W. Norton Books in fall 2009 and is available in the Museum Shop.
This exhibition was organized and curated by the Asheville Art Museum. This exhibition is sponsored in part by Asheville Eye Associates, John and Joan Dickson, the Judy Appleton Memorial Fund, f/32 Photography Group, Suzanne and Stephen Jones, Ann and Ted Oliver, and Ms. Sally Kennedy. Image credit: Tim Barnwell, Rowena Bradley Making Double Weave Rivercane Baskets, 1991, black and white silver gelatin print, 14 x 11 inches. 2009 Art Nouveaux Purchase. Asheville Art Museum Collection.
