Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Keenan.
Hi Andrew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan and I received an EMBA from GA State. I first came to Atlanta in 1984, left and came back in the early 90s, and left and came back in 1999. Most of my career was spent working for large advertising agencies. I worked for a while in environmental consulting and later in financial planning.
I learned about my current employer through my kids who participated in Callanwolde’s summer camp program. I later took drawing and painting classes at Callanwolde and fell in love with the place. I served on Callanwolde’s board for 11 years and became Executive Director at the end of 2017.
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?
When you’re a board member you think you know a lot about the organization you serve. I soon learned how wrong I was. Callanwolde is an extremely complex an organization. We have eight different buildings on 12 acres filled with gardens and a large amphitheater. The main building is over 27,000 sq. ft., 102 years old, and in constant need of maintenance. We offer 40 to 50 classes every term and boast the largest pottery program in Georgia. Other classes include dance, drawing, painting, weaving, darkroom photography, jewelry making, blacksmithing, yoga, creative writing, and martial arts. We hold nine outdoor concerts each year, four in the spring and five in the fall. We are also host to 70 to 80 weddings a year. So a lot going on.
Now, imagine what happens to all this when a pandemic hits. It was the uncertainty that was most stressful. Would we survive? It helped to have a creative group of folks problem-solving ways to bring art to people when they needed it the most. We were able to keep all of our live onsite concerts going throughout 2020 and 2021 with an ingenious “pod’ seating system that kept different parties six feet apart. Callanwolde was the only live music venue in Atlanta open during all of 2020. We even held our annual holiday dance performance in the parking lot–complete with inline skates and bicycles.
Classes during the pandemic were held virtually at first and students were able to rent potters wheels and “solo” studio space. Eventually, we held classes in our bigger rooms and under tents–running internet lines across campus to include students still at home.
We emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever, with a new group of loyal fans and donors.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the Executive Director of Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. My background is in advertising, environmental consulting, and financial planning. I’m most proud of my current position at Callanwolde and how I’ve helped to build art programming for underserved communities in addition to all the other work I do. My three passions are the arts, the environment, and helping people.
What were you like growing up?
I am the eighth of ten children. My parents were both artists which had an impact on my family. We were all expected to learn how to draw much in the same way all kids are expected to read and write. I was defined by my friends as an artist at an early age.
We didn’t travel outside my home state of Michigan but my parents hosted foreign-exchange students from Japan, Thailand, and Columbia, to give us a broader cultural understanding of the world. This sparked a love of travel in me to this day.
I started working for money at 12 years old, which made me more self-sufficient than most kids my age. Whenever my family asked our dad for something he’d say, “Get a job.” I had a lot of different jobs as a kid, from raking leaves, cutting grass, shoveling snow, working in a factory (at 15), working on Mackinac Island as a bellman, and delivering oriental rugs to wealthy homes in southeast Michigan. Each job taught me valuable lessons that I still use to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://callanwolde.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callanwoldefinearts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CallanwoldeFineArtsCenter
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-keenan-bb31483/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@callanwoldefineartscenter4715
Image Credits
Jack Keenan at 94 painting – Andrew Keenan (painting and photo) Andrew on Stage – Caroline Giddis Andrew Title I Schools Pottery – Stephen Barwick Andrew Title I Schools Blacksmithing – Stephen Barwick Azalea House – Andrew Keenan
