About the Exhibit:

 

Tommy Moorehead’s realistic watercolors are part of the Jemison Carnegie permanent collection.  The museum is grateful to hold such a collection of Mr. Moorehead’s works which represent many of the most significant historical buildings in Talladega and showcase fine examples of southern architectural styles of the late 1800 and early 1900s.

 

Mr. Moorehead’s style and widely collected works are rooted deeply in the agrarian South and include portraits of working folk and distinctive Southers scenes and architecture. “Talladega houses” represent the bold, free and spontaneous style. The artist was influenced by Social Realism and contemporary trends and experimental approaches to watercolor. 

 

A quote by the artist: ”Since my early years I have been fascinated with draftsmanship and it was a natural shift from drawing to cwatercolor. I bebin each work with a line drawing, but once painting begins, each watercolor assumes a life of itw own. The interaction of line, coor and form that happens while a work is in progress never ceases to fascinate me. Even through I’ve been doing watercolors for nearly 30 years, I can seldom predict the outcome. The process is like visual jazz.”

 

Tommy Moorehead, who passed away in December of 2014, served as director and curator of the Jemison-Carnegie Heritage Hall Museum for many years. He was affiliated with the Alabama State Arts Council for over 20 years as an Artist-in-Education grantee, which enabled him to teach in numerous communities across the state in both long and short-term residencies. He worked in a variety of media, including oil, photography, cermamics and watercolor. Mr Moorehead had a number of solo exhibitions at universities and colleges in Alabama and continues to be exhibited in galleries on a state-wide and national level.