Local Spotlight: Zombea Jones
Last Updated 7/23/2026
You may have seen her behind the counter making your favorite coffee or tea at Cicada Books, but Parker Bea “Zombea” Jones is so much more; she’s also an artist, poet, photographer, and writer. Her art can now be found in person at Cicada Books & Coffee and Grounded Earth Collective right here in Central City. We’re excited to shine a special spotlight on Zombea and her work in this week’s blog!
More about the Artist
Hailing from “The Heart of the Fox River,” her love for nature and oddities came from exploring the wetlands and woodlands in a suburban Midwestern town during a period of slow decay and rapid growth. Through her photography, she aims to capture the weird and wild side of urban Appalachia. She uses 35mm film on a Canon EOS Rebel for most of her photography and then has them professionally developed in a lab, digitized, and then printed. All mats are hand-cut in her home studio and matted using archival-quality materials in standard sizes so they are easy to frame and display!
Zombea shared that she moved to Huntington from Illinois in 2016. She said she loves her community and finds a special connection in queer spaces, which is what drew her to Cicada Books & Coffee. “I truly love it here and love being so connected with the local community,” she shared. “I was a customer long before they decided to hire me, but this is seriously the best job in the world,” she added. Now, Zombea is working to grow her brand and share her photos with those who shop in Central City. Zombea hopes customers love the photos as much as she does and is excited to share the things she’s captured so far, such as photos of nature, landscapes, and some of our favorite spots (photographed right here in Central City, of course)! You can follow Zombea’s artist page and support her on Instagram by following @zombea.jones.photo.
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