Our very own, Edward Kearney, sat down with Sad Girl Collective’s Erin Patrick and detailed his journey into the arts as well as what ultimately compelled him to pour his efforts into running Kanvas Art Group.
“Edward Kearney has been drawn to the arts since the days of Sunday art-gallery-strolls with mom. It’s an interest that translated itself into a life surrounded by artists - both his friends and his Kanvas colleagues.
Atlanta’s art scene is a huge part of what makes our city so great, with artist markets and art shows happening nearly weekly (at least, pre-Covid), and in the practice of art as activism. Despite the city’s active pantheon of art organizations and collectives, Kearney recognized a gap in Atlanta’s scene that aligned with his own passion and desire to make an impact.
An entrepreneur at heart, he started by reaching out to unconventional venues around town where he hoped to host an art show, filled with the work of his own talented friends.
Atlanta, the self-proclaimed “City Too Busy to Hate”, lacked an art space that was largely Black-owned or Black-lead. Despite our city’s diverse population, many of the outlets for artists are whitewashed.
The issue of making a living with art is, unfortunately, a huge one for all demographics. But as a Black person in Atlanta, or anywhere, there are additional obstacles due to a system that is centered on White success.
We talked to Kearney about the beginnings of Kanvas, to where it is today, and what it means to be a Black creative in Atlanta.”
To read the full article, click here!