It is a rare person who can influence an entire region in both their life and their art and Terry Kennedy was such a person. Following his death in 2010, his friends worked together to publish a collection of his beautiful and historically significant photography.
Titled “Spirit Handling”, the book features 48 of his most iconic images as well as portraits of Kennedy made by his contemporaries. His portraits, landscapes and social documentary work captured a region in transition while his experimental work broadened the concept of art photography in contemporary culture. Born in Cartersville Georgia, Terry Kennedy became a photographer after his experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War. After a successful career in Atlanta, Georgia, he moved to Baton Rouge to teach at Southern University. One of the few white faculty members in a traditionally black college, Terry influenced generations of students in art and life while continuing to create his personal work. He passed away in 2010 after battling pancreatic cancer.