Apparo supported Kev Harris Art, through the Knight Foundation cohort, with technology advice to complete their setup.
“Some see art as escapism, I see it as life,” is the opening quote on Kevin Harris’ website. Kevin is an oil paint, acrylic, and pastel artist specializing in the creation of art that moves people. He currently has paintings in multiple galleries in Charlotte. Having grown up in Washington, D.C. raised by his father and spending summers in Harlem with his mother, he experienced a diversity of culture. This influenced him as an artist and has allowed him to push himself across different genres as he creates works. He came to us seeking technology advice.
Apparo is able to offer technology advice to local arts and cultural organizations through Knight Foundation cohort to better enrich the lives in our communities. We are partnering with them through their Arts + Tech Expansion Fund, to provide baseline assessments, tech therapy consulting, digital marketing, and cybersecurity advice. Through this cohort, we were able to help Kevin Harris with his tech therapy needs.
Kevin came to us asking for technology advice so he could finish the setup for his business. First, he needed recommendations and pricing for security settings for his MacBook. He also needed recommendations and pricing for video editing software. In addition to these items, he needed help researching YouTube, because he had been having difficulty uploading longer videos. Finally, he needed advice and help with the calibration process for his new Epson P6000 large format printer. Apparo matched him with mentor volunteer, Jim Foley.
Sharing Thoughts
We spoke to volunteer, Jim Foley, about his experience assisting Kevin with technology advice. Foley stated that Kevin Harris was already fairly tech savvy but needed some advice on how to setup and use the equipment he had purchased. “Kevin has started to branch out from his art into photography, and he wanted to make sure he was a good steward of the grant money he received. The time I invested didn’t seem like a big deal to me, but for him, it helped him save time and mitigated the risk to him, amplifying what he is able to accomplish and helping his art business to grow.” He further shared, “I’ve been in tech for so long, helping large corporations. Suddenly, finding myself helping an artist was a totally different world than I’m used to. They still have tech challenges, and it’s interesting to see how my skills are transferrable.”
We also spoke to Kevin Harris about his experience with Apparo. “Apparo’s experts were extremely professional. They were amazing at bringing things to my attention that I had not considered in modeling how to proceed with my new equipment and business model. My one regret is not having access to them sooner, as their input would have made for a smoother transition,” Kevin shared.
