Abby Weeden.  Photographer, curator, business owner, creative wizard. 

To know Abby is to love her.  

To step inside the whimsical space that is her shop, Edison Hills New & Old is to be met with warmth, expertise, and passion.  

Beyond being the photographer for Cookeville Lifestyle Magazine, vice president of Art Round TN, one of the most respected artistic minds in the Upper Cumberland, and a rescuer and revitalizer of vintage items, Abby is a resource of connectivity and collaboration for the area’s art community and an advocate for all.  

She is committed to raising the ceiling for everyone around her and devoted to celebrating the work of the makers, visionaries, and craftspeople of this city.  

Abby explained, “Our space is designed to be as inclusive as possible. The items are sourced to be welcoming to everyone who enters the doors regardless of body type or what stereotypical box they do or don’t fit into. With curating vintage, we are pursuing sustainability because these items already exist. We are providing a service by finding these items, cleaning them up, and making them desirable again for those who don’t want to or can’t go digging through basements and barns to find their dream piece.” 

While Abby’s talents span a variety of mediums, she is most known as a photographer. 

Beyond an eye for the aesthetic refined through years of working as a professional, Abby brings a zeal for capturing and preserving the gambit of the human experience (both mundane and spectacular) to each session.  

“Art has been a lifelong pursuit which began as a preschooler and photography entered my life when I was 13 years old. I specifically like photographing people because I like the instantaneous record and documentation of the subject’s life and those around them. It’s a tangible memory that you can revisit at any time.” She continued, “I occasionally get messages about a photo turning into something sacred when someone is lost or life has changed and that photo is all that’s left. My kind of tagline is that ‘Your photos gain value with age.’ The longer ago it was taken the more it means.” 

Edison Hills was an idea that Abby and her now husband Chris (Mabry) began dreaming about in 2019. Beyond vintage clothing and jewelry, her shop was designed to be a communal, artistic well, open for all to drink. In this spirit, Edison Hills features a variety of classes each month, ranging from charcuterie board creation to oil painting and almost anything one could imagine in between. From opening day, Abby has sought to pair eager learners of all ages with classes that are welcoming, accessible, and meaningful. 

“I’m excited to fill a gap between crafting at home alone and formal education. I think a lot of people are seeking a way to express themselves and find community. It’s good for the brain to do something you’ve never done and it’s rewarding to help make this possible through workshops with local artists and creators here at Edison Hills.”  

Abby is everyone’s champion. She would rather see others be elevated than herself.  

Abby is one of the most talented people I’ll ever know, but her abilities seem insignificant when compared to her personhood. She is a wonderful friend, an example (alongside Chris) of what a beautiful marriage can look like, and as important to the future of Cookeville as anyone ever has been.  

If you don’t know Abby Weeden, stroll down the WestSide to Edison Hills today. Your life will be better for it. 

Written by Andrew Buckner, photos by Matt Matheson, makeup by Jamhile Eckert, Hair by Emily Bochette