Meet Day Kennedy | Stained Glass Artist and Store Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Day Kennedy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Day, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk taking is so important. Nothing great comes from playing it safe. You can’t learn and grow as a person by playing it safe. I left the stability and paycheck of a corporate job to be a full time artist. I had no plan and no reason to think I would succeed, but I had to try. I couldn’t suffer through my desk job and look back years later wondering “what if”. But I have learned so much about myself and what I’m capable of. I have less fear, less anxiety, more confidence, and more drive to keep going and doing more. And I have so much more gratitude because I know it could have gone wrong, and I could have failed, but I didn’t. And I would never feel this happy and fulfilled if I didn’t take the risk in the first place.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Earlier this year I opened ATL Glassworks, a retail store in Kirkwood to sell stained glass and supplies to other artists and hobbyists. I also started teaching classes for anyone interested in learning how to make stained glass. As an artist, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of local resources for glass artists. The main distributor for the entire Southeast relocated to Arizona in 2020, and the only other place to buy glass in person in the metro-Atlanta area closed its doors this year. Buying glass online is awful because you never know exactly what you’re going to get. Colors are inaccurate in photos, and there is so much variation in pattern and texture between sheets that you really want to compare in person. You want to touch it, hold it up to the light and pick the exact sheet you’re looking for. You just can’t do that online, and the shipping fees are outrageous! So with ATL Glassworks, I’m filling a void in the market for artists who want to source their materials locally. Opening this shop has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. The permitting process with the city has been an absolute nightmare, dealing with landlords over building renovations and upgrades has been frustrating, and basically everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. But I have learned so much through this process, not just about running a business but also what I’m capable of personally. I’m now stretched pretty thin running two separate businesses (ATL Glassworks and my personal art business Daylight Glassworks) but despite all the stress and anxiety and meltdowns, the past year has really reinvigorated me and given me even more drive to make this all work. Stained glass has completely changed my life, and I just want to share my love for it with as many people as I can.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh boy, I may not be the best person to ask this. I’m kind of a homebody and would much prefer to chill at home than go out into the big scary world, even before covid. But there are a ton of things to do around the city. I’d skip all the big touristy things… nobody actually wants to eat at The Varsity. Maybe go to a nice brunch somewhere, then check out any art or vintage markets happening. There’s usually one somewhere almost every weekend. I like to take people to Highland Row Antiques or Kudzu. Even if you’re not looking to buy anything, those places are fun to just look around at all the cool stuff. Then maybe grab some drinks at Estoria in Cabbagetown or the Earl in EAV. Then can we please go home and just hang out with my dog?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have had so much support and encouragement along the way, I wouldn’t even be able to begin naming names. But I will be forever grateful to the organizers of the small pop-up markets around Atlanta. I really cut my teeth on the pop-up scene when I first started selling glass, and I learned so much about being an artist and running a business by participating in those events and talking to other artists and curators. And I met a lot of great customers in those early days that are still huge supporters of mine. Shoutout to CC and Mike who run the Georgia Vintage Goods markets, and to Danielle who runs the Argosy markets. They are the BEST.

Website: www.atlglassworks.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/atlglassworks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/atlglassworks