Macon Arts Alliance Announces Artist Residency with Nationally Recognized Muscogee Artist Starr Hardridge
MACON, GA (January 16, 2026) — Macon Arts Alliance, in partnership with the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) and the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority (UDA), announces a new artist residency featuring nationally recognized Muscogee (Creek) artist Starr Hardridge. The residency is supported by generous funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with a matching gift from The Community Foundation of Central Georgia. The residency will run from January to June 2026.
During the residency, Hardridge will create an installation for public display and lead a series of free community art programs designed to foster cultural connection, shared storytelling, and creative engagement. All public programs will be free and open to the public.
Hardridge is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation whose work draws from Muscogee mythology, southeastern Mississippian designs, and contemporary abstraction. Raised in Oklahoma, his artistic practice deepened while studying at SCAD in Savannah, reconnecting him with his ancestral homelands and inspiring work rooted in balance between humanity, culture, and nature.
While in Macon, Hardridge will collaborate with local mural artist Randy Heart. Together, they will explore Muscogee creation stories and the layered cultural history of the land, creating work that reflects continuity, memory, and the full story of this place.
“This residency centers on reconnecting with Muscogee homelands through the illustration of traditional and contemporary creation stories,” said Hardridge. “Stories shared by Southeastern tribes articulate the deep relationship between humanity and the natural world; at the core of these teachings are Muscogee social order and cultural values that continue to exist today. Through this work, I seek to honor these narratives while presenting them in ways that remain relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences. Through this work, he stated one of his goals is “I hope to convey these enduring values to the community through teaching and collaborative art-making, sharing a variety of techniques that invite participants to engage with storytelling, material, and place. By blending education with creative practice, my goal is to create meaningful opportunities for connection, reflection, and cultural continuity.”
“This moment reflects the heart of our work—connecting people, place, and history in meaningful ways. By welcoming a Muscogee artist to share stories rooted in this land, we are honoring the living history of these homelands while inviting the community to engage with them in new ways. Doing so on the very lands we are working with Congress to create Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve underscores why this effort matters now and for generations to come” said Tracie Revis, Acting Chief Executive Officer, ONPPI and Muscogee citizen.
The first public programs will be a series of interactive community art classes titled Mvskoke Origins, taught by Starr Hardridge and Randy Heart. These classes invite participants to learn about Mvskoke creation mythologies while creating their own artwork inspired by these stories.
Upcoming Programming:
Mvskoke Origins Community Art Classes will take place January 23 and 24 at Mill Hill Community Arts Center, 213 Clinton Street, Macon, Georgia. Classes are free and open to the public with limited number of students. The artist will have additional classes each month from January to June.
January 23, 2026
Adult Developmental Disability Class 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Homeschool Class 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
January 24, 2026
Community Youth Class 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Community Adult Class 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
About Starr Hardridge
Website: http://www.starrhardridge.com/
Trained in the classical disciplines of painting, Starr Hardridge’s style has evolved from abstract symbolism to representational metaphors that explore the struggle for balance in the natural world. His work employs an assemblage of pointillist dots to evoke the texture of beadwork, transforming the painted surface into a tapestry of woven or beaded-like imagery. This innovative technique blends color and geometry, offering a modern perspective rooted in Mvskoke patterns and designs. His practice aims to create order in chaotic times, connecting humanity with nature.
About Randy Heart
Website: https://www.parkercloud.com/
Randy Heart is a Macon-based artist and educator dedicated to using art as a tool for emotional growth, community healing and youth empowerment. As the creator of signature characters Parker Cloud and Billow, he blends social-emotional learning with creative expression to inspire and beautify public spaces.
About ONPPI
The Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) is a community-based nonprofit bringing together Middle Georgia residents and Muscogee (Creek) citizens to protect the Ocmulgee River corridor and advance the expansion of Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve. Through conservation, education, and advocacy, ONPPI works to elevate Indigenous history, strengthen stewardship of this culturally and ecologically significant landscape, and build lasting partnerships that benefit communities across the region.
