They make a way. - Maryland Institute College of Art

Kevin Kearney ’74 PAINTING
Founder and President, Kearney and O’Banion, Inc. / Sebastopol, CA
“I was always moved by art—emotionally and intellectually.
I ended up believing that I could make a contribution as an
artist. And that carried into business. What could be more
of a contribution, I began to realize, than hiring people, than
employing people? People need jobs, and very few people create
jobs. People who create jobs are the backbone of this country.
I ultimately grew my business for the same reason I make
paintings—I thought I could make a real contribution.”
Kevin Kearney never had any doubt he wanted
to go to an art college. As a child, he admired his
uncle’s art work, and spent four years studying
intensely at Baltimore’s Calvert Hall College High
School, where he says art changed his life—helping
him develop a focus that dramatically raised his
level of academic achievement. Once at MICA,
he studied with incredible instructors, including
Barry Nemett, who took Kearney under his wing.
Painting was, and remains, a passion for Kearney.
It makes you look at the world differently, he says,
and makes you take risks. His MICA education
helped him perfect his ability to visualize, a skill he
took with him into a concurrent real estate career.
A shy kid, his skill in art helped him gain confidence,
and the encouragement he got from his MICA
professors helped him become even more assertive.
He renovated houses in Bolton Hill during college
to help pay for school. After moving to the West
Coast, he began a real estate development company
to make enough money to allow him to paint
professionally. He achieved acclaim as an artist,
and at the same time, his company’s fortunes
skyrocketed. Kearney eventually moved into
real estate full time, and at its peak, Kearney’s
company employed more than 120 people and
generated $12 million in sales annually.
THOUGH KEARNEY IS A PAINTER AT HEART, HE
RUNS A CONSULTING BUSINESS, A DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS, WORKS WITH A FIRM THAT HELPS
TAKE COMPANIES PUBLIC, SITS ON THE BOARD
OF A CYBER-SECURITY FIRM, IS A BOOK AUTHOR,
AND IS WRITING A SCREENPLAY. AT 59 YEARS
OF AGE, HE IS STILL “HUNGRY.” AS AN ARTIST,
HE SAYS, HE LOOKS AT LIFE DIFFERENTLY.
Today, in addition to everything else, Kearney is
excited to get back to painting. At the same time,
he is taking the time to enjoy his wife, his son,
and a sprawling estate nestled on rolling acres
in Sonoma Valley, where he grows his own grapes
to make wine. He has always been moved by art.
He loves and collects great paintings. Ultimately, he
believes that art inspires people to do great things.
ENTERPRISE
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
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