Timothy Duffy has been photographing musicians in the South for thirty-five years and is the founder of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Hillsborough, NC that helps elderly musicians meet their basic needs so that they can share their music with the world. The exhibit, Our Living Past features portraits of these musicians and still lifes of Southern scenes in the form of twenty-five platinum palladium prints created from Duffy’s wet plate photographs.  

Our Living Past premieres at NC State’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design on May 17th, 2018 and will be on display until November 26th, 2018 in the Thomas E. Cabaniss Gallery at the Historic Residence. An opening reception will be held at the Gregg on Thursday, May 17th at 6:00pm and will feature a performance from the Glorifying Vines Sisters and a brief artist talk by Timothy Duffy. **Light refreshments will be available from 6pm – 8pm**

The portraits featured in the exhibit range from little known harmonica players and blues singers including John Dee Holeman, Algia Mae Hinton, and Lena Mae Perry, all of whom are from North Carolina to more famous contemporary artists. Soul singer Sharon Jones, slide guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks, and blues legend Taj Mahal have all had their portraits taken in Duffy’s unique style and are featured in the exhibit.

The images were captured by Duffy himself and give a glimpse into the rich historical narrative and vital culture of Southern traditional music. Duffy’s life work, to preserve this culture, now takes on a tangible form through Our Living Past, and works to ensure that these important living links to our history get the recognition they deserve.

Our Living Past debuted in the Atrium Gallery of the Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta in 2016 and has traveled to various museums and cultural arts centers since then. The photographs in Our Living Past have garnered coverage from the NY Times and TIME magazine’s photography arms.