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ArtsNatchez Gallery, located at 425 Main St., in downtown Natchez, will this weekend unveil Heirlooms of Innocence — a portrait exhibit celebrating the timeless wonder of childhood, by local photographer T.G. McCary.

The reception will be on Saturday, April 12, from 5-7 p.m. The portraits will be unveiled at 5:15.

McCary’s collection features 12 remarkable young participants, and reimagines classic Renaissance portraiture through the lens of modern heirloom photography.

Timothy G. McCary, a native Mississippian, has spent his lifetime immersed in the visual arts. His creative spark was ignited when attending summer arts camps at the University of Mississippi at the age of 6. He was bitten by the photography bug in high school and started an apprenticeship with S.J. Parham, a local portrait photographer in Oxford, MS. During this apprenticeship he learned the basics of photography, composition, and lighting as well as the use of incorporating a variety of media such as oils and pastels to enhance the final appearance of the photograph.

Tim received a degree in Photography from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984. While attending Southern Miss he received the Outstanding Photographic Student Award. He attended seminars, participated in workshops and studied with several successful photographers while in college. During his senior year at USM, he joined the Mississippi-Alabama Professional Photographers Association and won the prestigious “First Timer’s Award” given to the highest-scoring photograph entered by a beginning member. He has won over 40 print awards as well as being named the Mississippi Photographer of the Year in 1989.

Upon graduating from college, he and his wife Penny selected Natchez in 1985 as the perfect place to call home. Many of his portrait commissions come from the Natchez area; however, his work is commonly found in homes throughout the southeastern United States as well as several foreign countries. He currently has an exhibit in the Arts Natchez gallery that features not only portraits, but landscapes and still-life.

Enjoy light refreshments and beverages as you take in these tender, timeless Painterly Portraits. Whether you’re a lover of art, a supporter of local talent, or  simply curious, we invite you to step into a world where innocence is honored and childhood is cherished.