Tyler Andrew Lackey is a Tennessee-born, Washington-D.C., based Social Practice artist whose work uses sound and noise to explore the complexities surrounding race, caste, and culture in the United States. Additionally, he addresses issues of anti-blackness in international contexts through his artistic endeavors considering diplomacy as a mechanism for existing.

As a musician, Ty utilizes a diverse array of instruments, including saxophone, piano, bass, percussion, vocals, and guitar, to create unique soundscapes. His musical focus centers on themes of reflection, improvisation, reclamation, and preservation, encouraging active participation and collaboration in the making and sensing process. In the realm of visual arts, Ty experiments with depth mapping, AI images, and videography to craft immersive experiences that transform venues into communal spaces activated by performance.

Throughout his artistic practice, Ty desires to open doors for behaviors that lead to reconciliation around nuanced facets of human history and identity.

Ty is a 2024 OneBeat Fellow, with the United States Department of Culture and Education, and an American Musicological Society’s 2023 Eileen Southern Travel Grant Awardee.

Ty holds a Master of Fine Arts in Social Practice from The Corcoran School of Arts and Design, and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Sciences from The George Washington University.