Today we’d like to introduce you to Okeeba Jubalo.
Hi Okeeba, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and raised in North Charleston, South Carolina. My journey in Atlanta began in 1993 when I moved here to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta. I was familiar with Atlanta mainly because my sister came back and forth to party as a college student/athlete at Furman University.
This was before social media and these various platforms so there was a level of realness I felt in Atlanta. There was also a level of pressure because of the sports and entertainment culture to succeed fast.
After graduating from AIA, I began my journey as an artist, graphic designer, and entrepreneur.
I didn’t have any intentions of working for anyone, so I knew I would have to build a long-term strategy from what success meant to me.
Nearly 30 years later I have a number of titles under my belt. Husband, dad, brother, son, Executive Creative Director, photographer, fine artist, videographer, gallerist, Spoken word artist, musician. Honestly, I have covered a great deal of ground in Atlanta and beyond.
I am thankful for what I learned in Atlanta; this city is known for preparing the greats to be very great within other markets.
Currently, I live in Atlanta and Charleston, South Carolina. I opened my Fine Art Gallery in Charleston last year. www.OkeebaJubaloGallery.com. I am bringing Atlanta artists into Charleston, and it is great to build an art scene from the ground up. It also brings exposure to Atlanta’s creatives outside of the Atlanta market. http://theatlantaexhibition.com/
My branding agency has our clients nationwide, Atlanta & Charleston are our two bases.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest struggle about being a professional creative in Atlanta would have to be the leadership in the Government sector. Atlanta has access to so many artists because of the name “Atlanta,” but most artists do not actually live in Atlanta. From that standpoint, the City of Atlanta isn’t obligated to create, fund, and support a great Arts scene because the artists do not pay taxes within the City of Atlanta.
Most artists live in other counties, so the collective movement is diluted. As indie artists it is very hard to build your brand without funds and connections. The office of cultural affairs could use an overhaul while combining older leadership with new leaders.
We also need to see more men and women working together to build an Arts scene that is really inclusive. With all of this talk about diversity and inclusion, it is troublesome to hardly see that really play itself out in real-time.
Atlanta would do better if it focused less on nepotism and celebrity. The focus should be on qualifications and credibility. The city would be better if the we actually worked together. That has always been my focus over my career, but that idea doesn’t travel within all sections of Atlanta.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My specialty is “excellence.” We have so many creatives in Atlanta, and I am very proud of them. I would say that I am known for the diversification of my talents. To be an author, painter, publisher, gallerist, recording artist, musician, engineer, photographer, videographer, so on and so on…I have yet to met anyone in my space who handle so many disciplines at a high level.
What sets me apart is that you would need 6 to 12 highly skilled, different people to make up for just 1 Okeeba Jubalo.
What does success mean to you?
To me, making sure that my name means something at home and within my circle first. The world isn’t my main focus because to tolerate so much foolishness from people if they are “celebrities.” Success is when my daughters who are young adults still smile when they see me.
My wife is happy to be my wife. My sisters, brothers, pops, and mom are proud of me for being a solid man at home first. All that I do in the world comes after taking care of home and my community.
That whole “celebrity” thing is overrated. Being around enough of those folks turned me off, too many of them lack ethics and morals. I am successful because I built everything from the ground up with ethics in place. My name is solid.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://theatlantaexhibition.com/
Image Credits
NobleSol Art Group
Katrina S. Crawford
