Bag Lunch Arts Program

“Faces of Appalachia: An Exploration of Mountain Culture through Photographs and Stories” presented by photographer Tim Barnwell

The focus of the program will be Appalachian culture and history as it relates to our area.  Barnwell will share photographs and stories of meeting folks from western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee who are involved with traditional farm life, crafts, and music.  Using images of people and places made over the past 35 years from his three Appalachian-themed books, The Face of Appalachia: Portraits from the Mountain Farm, On Earth’s Furrowed Brow: The Appalachian Farm in Photographs, and Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, the program will depict scenes of daily life such as farming, hunting, religious activities, people working with oxen and horses, making traditional crafts, and playing old-time music.

The rugged and remote mountains of the southern Appalachian region have served to isolate and preserve the last vestiges of life as it once was throughout rural America. Mr. Barnwell’s images, combined in the books with oral history interviews done with the subjects, provide an insight into the lives, family histories, and dreams of the hardworking, proud, and resourceful men and women of this unique area of the country. Transcending their geographical origins, his photographs record a way of life and remind us how our forefathers lived for generations, with seemingly little change, in the decades before modern industry, roads, technology, and communications transformed the country.

All of Barnwell’s projects are dedicated to preserving the culture of southern Appalachia and inspiring folks to get out and explore areas where they live. His presentations focus on his efforts, using photography and collecting oral histories, to preserve regional mountain heritage and promote appreciation of the natural beauty that surrounds us. Whether you are a native, or new to the area and want to learn more about the history and culture of southern Appalachia, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this presentation.

Tim Barnwell is a photographer and author based in Asheville, North Carolina, and is one of the most published photographers in the South. He has been a principal or contributing photographer to dozens of books and is the author of five of his own: The Face of Appalachia: Portraits from the Mountain Farm, On Earth’s Furrowed Brow: The Appalachian Farm in Photographs, Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas: A Comprehensive Identification Guide to What you See from the Many Overlooks, and Great Smoky Mountains Vistas: A Guide, with Mountain Peak Identifications, for What To See and Do in and Around the National Park.

His images have appeared in dozens of magazines, including Time, Newsweek, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, American Craft, Outdoor Photographer, US Air, Mother Jones, Sky and Telescope, Blue Ridge Country, Billboard, U.S. News and World Report, Travel South, American Style, Smithsonian, Woodwork, Our State, Black & White Magazine, Smoky Mountain Living, Aperture, LensWork, Fiberarts, Astronomy, Parents, Ceramics Monthly, and National Parks.

His career has spanned more than 30 years as a professional photographer and photography instructor, including eight years as Executive Director of the nationally recognized Appalachian Photographic Workshops. Mr. Barnwell is known as a master photographer and printer. His fine art photography is widely collected and has been included in many group and one-man shows in the US and abroad. His images are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum, Mint Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Greenville (SC) County Museum of Art, Mint Museum, Asheville Art Museum, SOHO Photo Gallery, Newark Museum, and the Bank of America corporate collection. His fine art photography is represented by Lumiere Gallery in Atlanta.

For a complete list of upcoming scheduled Bag Lunch programs click here.

Our monthly Bag Lunch Arts Series spotlights authors, artists, performers, and speakers sharing their talent and knowledge. Held on the third Tuesday of most months at 12 noon in the Rogow Family Community Room. Patrons are encouraged to bring along a bag lunch to enjoy before the program. Cookies and coffee are courtesy of the Friends of the Library. Programs last approximately one hour.