Arianna Leggs is a determined and talented artist who creates African American art to spark important conversations. Read on to learn about her inspiring mission.
Tell us a little bit about yourself? I’m 25 years old and from Nashville, TN. My niche has always been sketching/drawing. Throughout grade school, I would do paintings here and there but didn’t have as much interest in it as I did in drawing until my 2nd year of college.
How did you discover your love for painting? I entered college majoring in Apparel Design and minoring in art. [By] the end of my second year, I knew I wanted to focus more on painting. I became more interested in acrylic and oil painting, [and] changed my major to Art.Â
My dream is my purpose, and my purpose is to start a conversation about topics that are not being acknowledged
What kind of art do you create? I create African American art that portrays a specific cultural perspective of life that incorporates autism and mental health issues within my community. My goal is to bring a message not just to one community but all regarding mental illness and developmental disabilities.
What did you learn from the Celebrate EDU Start a Business course?I learned how to manage and price my products. This was helpful, especially when starting a business because I want to make sure that I make a good profit while giving my customers the best deal. Learning [my] competitors was helpful as well.
What is your dream for the future?
My dream is my purpose, and my purpose is to start a conversation about topics that are not being acknowledged, by expressing it through art. Those topics are mental illness, autism, and the history of African American culture.Â