Kendra Walker’s Big Audacious Dream, Three Years In

Atlanta Art Week kicks off today (Sept. 30), once again shining a spotlight on the work of art advisor Kendra Walker. She’s young, but she was making her mark in the Atlanta art scene before founding Atlanta Art Week (AAW), with projects like The Black Art Experience, Walker Art Advisory and her writing in publications like Artnet News, The Art Newspaper and Artsy—all of which taken together landed her a spot on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Art & Style list.

Walker’s direct influence is multifaceted. Much of her work has been focused on art world accessibility and promoting the work of Black artists. She’s a uniting force; Atlanta Art Week was her vision to unify Atlanta’s diverse art ecosystem by connecting galleries, institutions, art lovers, artists and collectors. In the first year, 2,000 people bought tickets, and past participants have included the High Museum and Atlanta Contemporary.

Indirectly, the long-overlooked city is finally getting its own art fair, Atlanta Art Fair in early October, and it’s highly likely that the success of Atlanta Art Week had something to do with AMP’s decision to add an Atlanta fair to its roster.

Walker also founded Atlanta Art Week—at just 26 years old—as a means of elevating the city’s reputation in the art world. Atlanta’s diverse artist community was in no way lacking in talent but was notably overlooked. Not for a lack of champions, it’s important to point out; High Museum of Art director Rand Suffolk or Atlanta Opera’s general and artistic director Tomer Zvulun come to mind. What Walker had was a big, audacious dream and the drive to make it happen.

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Atlanta Art Week is now in its third year, and programming has expanded to include partnerships with major institutions like Georgia Tech and big-ticket sponsors like Bank of America. International collectors are starting to sit up and take notice of not only the event but also the on-the-ground talent that powers it. In advance of AAW, Observer connected to Kendra Walker to ask about Atlanta Art Week’s genesis, her career and what she’s looking forward to seeing this year.

What can you tell me about the inspiration behind Atlanta Art Week?

The inspiration behind Atlanta Art Week was initially to spotlight the institutions in and cultural landscape of the city. As awareness of AAW continues to grow within the local community and internationally, it presents an ideal opportunity to expand and embrace unconventional forms of contemporary art and working with different curators and galleries.

There’s so much great art in Atlanta and plenty of cultural events, so I think a lot of people are initially surprised to find out that Atlanta Art Week is such a young initiative. Why wasn’t there anything like it before?

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I had only been out of undergrad for about four years before launching Atlanta Art Week. The city has many cultural events, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly. I believe the timing, focus on contemporary art and the intentional partners involved in AAW played a significant role in the event’s substantial impact in the inaugural year. Similar to The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

I saw that Georgia Tech is participating in this year’s program, which seems like an incongruous—though interesting!—addition. How did that come about?

Atlanta is home to many universities, making it crucial to spotlight the talent emerging from these institutions. Georgia Tech has a robust art and design division in addition to the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. Birney Robert is the director of external engagement at the Office of the Associate Vice Provost for the Arts at Georgia Tech. She reached out to my team, which led to our collaboration this year.

How does your work on Atlanta Art Week fit into the larger context of your career, which includes art advisory, analysis, etc. Is there synergy there?

Absolutely. I’ve been based in Atlanta for a decade, and my understanding of the art industry has been initially shaped by the workings of a smaller art ecosystem. As I advance in my career, my insights and perspectives continue to expand, influencing how I view art both as a luxury and as a community asset. I’m fortunate to be at the forefront of change in contemporary art in the city of Atlanta.

As an advisor, Atlanta Art Week provides a refreshing change of pace from my daily responsibilities. AAW has provided me with valuable insights akin to those of a fair director and fundraiser—skills and career goals I hadn’t previously considered but which positively contribute to my overall profession and network expansion.

How about when it comes to your work making the art world more accessible for artists of color? Is there a specific focus on highlighting underrepresented talent at AAW?

I am very passionate about making the art world more accessible to people of color, across all positions—whether as artists, collectors, or professionals. To drive meaningful change over the next twenty years, we need to be intentional about nurturing every aspect of the industry. That’s why I’m especially committed to collaborating with universities and providing students with exposure to various career paths beyond just being an artist.

What show or event are you most looking forward to this year? Outside of Atlanta Art Week, who are the artists you think Observer readers should check out?

This year for Atlanta Art Week, I am looking forward to the expansion of out-of-town participation from Aperture, OCHI, Mariane Ibrahim and The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additionally, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art will host an artist talk with Ming Smith that I am particularly interested in.

I am looking forward to “Jeffrey Gibson: They Teach Love” at the Zuckerman Museum of Art where the Atlanta Art Week Kick-off event will be held—in addition to the presentations by Jackson Fine Art, Spalding Nix Fine Art, whitespace, the Goat Farm and the Temporary Art Center.

Outside of Atlanta, I am very much looking forward to seeing “Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies” at the Brooklyn Museum and “Victor Ehikhamenor: The Enigma of Time Remembered.” Additionally, I have really been into Hugh Hayden and Wangari Mathenge lately.