Garry Neill Kennedy (1935–2021) was a distinguished Canadian artist and educator based in Vancouver, BC. Over the course of his career, he became known for his conceptual artistic practice and his significant contributions to the development of arts education in Eastern Canada.
In addition to his active career as an artist, Kennedy taught studio art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University) for more than forty years, serving as the institution's president from 1967 to 1990. He was also a visiting professor at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (ENSB-A).
Kennedy’s most recent solo museum exhibitions were held at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Owens Art Gallery, and Portikus in Frankfurt am Main.
He was the recipient of several awards, including the Portia White Prize (2000), the Order of Canada (2003), and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts (2004).
His most recent publications include The Last Art College: Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 1968–1978 (MIT Press) and a comprehensive Catalogue Raisonné of His Printed Matter by Peter Trepanier, published by the National Gallery of Canada.