EuGene Byrd III, Solo Art Exhibition
Atlanta Gallerist, EuGene Byrd
On December 18, 2021 at FUTURE GALLERY in Atlanta, EuGene Byrd III hosted the opening for his solo exhibition.
This was Byrd’s 4th time curating the space. Byrd founded FUTURE GALLERY with the Future Dead Artists Collective to support making art more accessible. The solo exhibition’s opening featured an intimate Artist Talk with Byrd. During the Artist Talk, Byrd offered dialogue, resources and inspiration to young artists and collectors.
Here are some of the highlights from the questions asked by artists and collectors:
How has being downtown impacted your artwork?
Downtown has been cool. These pieces are influenced by the city. I really feel like I am getting to know the city. This area is riddled with drug usage and remnants from the Confederacy. I am a history buff. So I enjoy learning about the city in a new way.
Some Black people have never been to an art gallery and some white people too. Some people walk in and take photos and then they ask me, “what is it?” I tell them, it is an art gallery. Then, I realize, it never dawned on them that art can be experienced in this way. I enjoy bringing art to underserved areas.
There are a lot of distractions downtown. I created a lot more work at home in lockdown during 2020. So, sometimes I work at home. My art is influenced by where I am, who I am around and who I spend time with. A lot of the people in my pieces are real people from “The A.” They are my friends, other artists, and community leaders.
How do you manage self doubt?
I have the Mamba Mentality. The things I do religiously are a part of my religion.
How did your mother being an artist influence your artwork?
She painted a little bit but she was mainly an interior designer. She was a DIY person around the house. She encouraged my art. So, I didn’t grow up believing art was a waste of time. I don’t know if I would have been an artist if it was not for that early influence. Everyone in the streets was telling me not to. When I was growing up, being an artist wasn’t popular among my peers. Girls didn’t like artists. Now, women love artists. And now my daughter wants to be an artist. She has even designed some of the apparel at FUTURE GALLERY.
Following the artist talk, art patrons continued to engage in conversation, food, music and the visual art experience curated by Byrd. His message of a generational art legacy left artists inspired to use their craft to build an empire in the city of Atlanta.
EuGene Byrd’s Artist Community
Byrd’s lessons in art started in his home.
His parents were a part of the Exodus Dusters movement, a Midwest mass migration. They settled in Wichita, Kansas. This movement followed the distrust sparked by the burning of Black Wall Street in Tulsa. The time is marked by a sentiment of self-starters like Byrd’s parents. His mother was an interior decorator and artist herself.
He has experienced the loss of mother and his sister. Their spirit and impact on his life have influence his art. His portrait, We dig ourselves into a ditch, how many of us have died and pretend to live? is an artistic expression of life, death and femininity.
EuGene Byrd moved to Atlanta in 1996.
As a first-generation college student, he saw the city as an environment to develop personally and professionally. Byrd was a graphic designer/creative director in the corporate space for 15+ years. In 2016, after learning screen printing from reading books and watching YouTube and left his job as a designer.
Byrd is inspired by Atlanta artists like Miya Bailey and Charles White.
