In “Our Living Past,” Timothy Duffy immortalizes dozens of Southern Blues icons that he’s met over the course of his 35-year career as an artist and activist. Duffy is the founder and executive director of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the artists who make it. Music Maker provides grants, emergency assistance and opportunities to both aging and emerging musicians rooted in the Blues tradition. “Our Living Past” shows their story.

Originally created as tintypes, the photographs in this exhibition have been reprinted using the unique platinum palladium photographic process, which allows for a broad tonal range and depth that approaches the appearance of the originals. The result is a stunning collection of images that perfectly resonate with the age and tone of the musicians they capture.

In a related event, FMoPA and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA) will host a cultural encounter at 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 with University of Tampa professor and author, John Capouya. His novel, “Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band,” draws on extensive interviews with surviving Floridian musicians to honor the achievements of Soul’s golden age. The event will include a reading from the novel, discussion and a tour of “Our Living Past.”

Our Living Past is generously sponsored by the Puffin Foundation, Ltd.

Our Living Past will be on display at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts from Feb. 1st – 28th

Learn more – here