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Tim Beckwith is a multi-talented artist who began
his pursuit of the arts at an early age. While growing
up in rural southern California, he taught himself
to play hand drums, recorders, and bamboo flutes.
Drawing, drumming, sculpting, mask making and painting
were frequent activities throughout his childhood.
By the time he entered high school in 1960 Tim was
deeply involved in all these activities. In 1968 he
began formal studies, majoring in sculpture at California
College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland California.
He graduated in1972 receiving a BFA with High Distinction.
After traveling in Mexico Tim relocated to the
Central Coast. In 1978 he began performing on flute
and drums with Bentel Baraka, a very spirited Middle
Eastern dance and music ensemble. From 1980 to 1992
he performed all original music on drums, flute,
vocals and recorder in the Prima Bwana band.
In 1984 Tim's art work focused primarily on abstract
painting which he began to exhibit in 1985. The
paintings were shown in San Diego, Santa Monica,
long Beach, San Francisco, Reno, Los Olivos, and
in various communities along the Central Coast until
1991. His attention then turned toward sculpture
and mask making. This work has been exhibited widely
on the Central Coast. In 1994 his masks were used
in the Columbia Sony motion picture Higher Learning.
In 1995 Tim and Chris O'Connell formed a musical
duo called Human - Human. They have performed widely
throughout the Central Coast, receiving rave reviews
from the local press, the Live Oak Music Festival
and the hundreds of children who have experienced
their many school performances. Human - Human' s
one-of-a-kind, all original music uses instrumentation
from across the globe in a unique blend which amply
features Tim's mysterious and impossible to categorize
singing. They call their style of music "Culti
- Multural."
In 1999 Tim was one of the primary creators of
Art Lives Here, a gallery and guild for artists
of the central coast. He also became co-director
of the gallery which features curated shows and
thematic group exhibitions.
In 1997 Tim began explorations in sculptural lighting
design which has become his primary focus. This
work has been exhibited from Pasadena to San Francisco
and can be seen in the San Francisco Design Center.
His most
recent work focuses on custom, site-specific, sculptural
lighting projects.
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