WHEN VENTURE CAPITALIST Christian Kanady recruits people from the coasts, he arranges tours at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. “Smart people like other smart people, and they like to be surrounded by smart ideas,” he says.
Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Kanady had the fortune to travel with his family, often visiting museums with his grandmother. “I’ve always been fascinated with art, its history, the evolution of collecting, and the stories of relics changing hands,” he says. “Great collections are found in great museums, and great museums are found in great cities.”
That is Kanady’s vision, to help make his hometown a great city. To that effect, Kanady has many plates in the air, notably as an Oklahoma Contemporary board member and patron. His family financially supports its newest exhibition, Off the Wall, featuring three Oklahoma-based artists—Sarah Ahmad, romy owens, and Marium Rana—whose large, tapestry-like works “promise to redefine boundaries and the traditional gallery experience,” he says.
Kanady began his career at Chesapeake Energy after earning his degree from the University of Oklahoma. He founded Echo Energy in 2010, overseeing more than $1 billion dollars in assets. He is a founding partner of Echo Investment Capital, which funds start-ups in media, life sciences, real estate, national security, and health care. Echo has its headquarters in a downtown Oklahoma City office building called the Ziggurat—after the ancient Mesopotamian architectural feat. Kanady’s wife, Kate Richard, is the founder and CEO of Warwick Investment Group.
Oklahoma City’s enlightenment age began about thirty years ago when voters approved MAPS, a series of tax initiatives that funded many quality-of-life capital-improvement projects. This investment ignited the cultural boom that Kanady has recognized. It’s not just about business—it’s about attracting diverse, talented people to live and work in the spirit of collaboration. As Kanady says, “Any great artistic movement is interwoven within people in community, and historically it happens where the creative process is easily accessible to artists.” Many in Kanaday’s position may have headed for a more culturally diverse city when he was first starting out. That said, the vibrant and creative Oklahoma City of today was well worth the wait.
Walls Unbound
WALLS UNBOUND. Seeking to move beyond the traditional display options of a typical gallery space, the new works in Off the Wall occupy new angles and sight lines to challenge viewer perceptions of the art. In this group exhibition at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, every artist interprets universal human experiences—like tradition, chaos, and travel—through large-scale works in fiber, textiles, and mixed media. Each approach gives viewers a variety of ways to connect with the work, and invites them to consider the “interconnectedness of humanity.” —Kelly Rogers
Off the Wall featuring artists Sarah Ahmad, romy owens, and Marium Rana is on view through June 13, 2022.