Woodson Carpenter is a proud Black son of Appalachia—a son of its mountains, hollers, valleys, and rivers. He is a son of poets, singers, players, and thinkers. He is a son of rebellion and rebuilding, enslaved people and enslavers. His hope, in remaining always rooted in his home, heritage, and history, is to become an ever more beautiful embodiment of a dream deferred. 

As a multidisciplinary artist, Woodson’s work is, at its core, a pursuit of beauty—often the sort that emerges from simple and mundane elements of life.  Whether through music, poetry, or photography, he reflects the intersecting identities he and his village embody. 

Woodson studied business administration and legal studies on full merit scholarship as a University Honors Scholar at East Tennessee State University. He earned his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh. As a social scientist, his professional and academic work has largely explored the ways in which policy, community, creativity, economics, and justice can meaningfully intersect.