A new exhibition of fascinating and whimsical two- and three-dimensional works of art – called The Art and Soul of Timothy Hedden – will be on display in the Tubman Museum’s BB&T Gallery beginning July 1, 2016. The exhibition, which runs through September 10, officially opens during a “Meet The Artist” reception on Friday, July 8.
 
A self-taught artist whose work is in a state of perpetual evolution, Timothy Hedden has exhibited all over Georgia, most recently in the storefront window at The 567 Center for Renewal’s former Cherry Street location in Macon. His work was displayed in a 2013 exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, also in Macon, and at the Immigration Gallery in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport in 2006. Hedden’s “Angels of Virtue,” large-scale collages based on an original series of postcards, were displayed at the Atlanta Airport in 2009. For the Tubman Museum’s exhibition, Hedden plans to include assemblages from found objects, glitter art, collages, and the “Angels of Virtue” items, including the original postcards upon which the large-scale collages are modeled.
 
Hedden gets excited when asked about his type of folk art. “I love the light-heartedness of the art I create,” he stated. “It’s my therapy, my passion and my life, and it makes me smile. I want to carry that over to other people and bring joy to them and take the edge off of the seriousness and drama of life.”
 
Timothy Hedden’s work evolved over time as he discovered new inspirations, but he is most influenced by several African American artistic visionaries who created in the genre of outsider art, a label used to describe art created outside the boundaries of the traditional art culture. These creative geniuses include the following. (With the exception of Simon Sparrow, the Tubman Museum has artwork by each of these outsider artists in its permanent collection).
 
-Gregory Warmack, known as “Mr. Imagination,” was an artist of found-object assemblages who often used sandstone and bottlecaps in his work.
 
-Nellie Mae Rowe, a Georgia native and one of America’s most important folk artists, who worked in paper, collage, photographs, dolls, sculpture and other media.
 
-Thornton Dial, a prolific and popular artist who composed large-scale assemblages from found objects.
 
-Romare Bearden, an artist and author of several books who worked in many types of media, including painting, cartoons and collage.
 
-Simon Sparrow, a self-taught painter and artist best known for his mixed media constructions. Hedden credits this artist for inspiring his work in glitter assemblages.
 
The Tubman Museum invites everyone to meet the artist at “The Art and Soul of Timothy Hedden” Opening Reception on Friday, July 8, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The event is free for Tubman Museum Members and $5.00 for Non-members.