- Born: Chicago, Illinois
- Active: Nashville (Davidson County); Washington, D.C.
- Region: Middle
- Medium: Photography, Mixed Media, Installation
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Rod McGaha
“I am a sound and visual artist whose creative practice lives at the intersection of healing, history, and hope. My work is rooted in the Black experience, using music, photography, and mixed media to explore themes of identity, resilience, and liberation. A trumpet player by training, I began my journey into visual art later in life, after a major health crisis left me unable to play. In that silence, I discovered a new language through the camera lens, one that allowed me to see and speak about the beauty and pain of Black life in powerful, layered ways.
“My artistic practice is not confined by genre. It is rooted in story, Black stories, and the emotional truths that come with them. Whether I am composing healing soundscapes or building photographic installations that feature instruments, ancestors, or candy sweet tributes to Black women, the goal is always the same: to honor what has been, confront what is, and imagine what can be. My art is a prayer for freedom. It is a refusal to forget. It is joy on purpose.”
Rod McGaha is a Nashville based sound and visual artist, trumpeter, storyteller, and educator. A lifelong musician and composer, Rod’s creative journey expanded into the visual arts in his 50s, after a health setback temporarily silenced his trumpet. That moment sparked a new chapter of creative discovery. Today, Rod fuses photography, video, sound, and installations to address themes of justice, Black identity, healing, and joy. A few of his exhibitions include Roots, Rhythm, Resonance and Freedom, We the People, and Regeneration all exploring the multifaceted experience of Black life in America, especially through the eyes and resilience of Black women. He is currently in a ten month downtown residency developing sound and image installations with a community based focus on healing. His work has been exhibited in the Frist, MFA Houston, Phillips Collection, Tennessee Triennial and various regional galleries, and he is a frequent speaker and collaborator on projects that bridge music, history, and multicultural engagement.
CRAFTING BLACKNESS 
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