A musician’s eye

Next time you’re in need of a coffee warm-up, you might want to check out the artwork at the Starbucks on Eureka Way in Redding. There you’ll find the photography of Mackenzie Hughes, a Redding musician whose artistic eye is as sharp as his musical ear. Hughes, a friend, shot the photos of musicians at work while in Mexico and Cuba. 

To me, his photos are all at once telling, colorful, optimistic and a bit melancholy. These aren’t the big-label musicians, who tour the world with fat wallets and inflated egos. These are the musical working men and women, who practice their artwork for economic and spiritual survival. The lines on their faces tell stories of struggle and survival, not stardom and coddling. But somehow, their eyes twinkle — a sort of inside joke that seems to say no matter what the world chooses to do, they’ll keep playing.

Enjoy. And be inspired.

-Christy