In the heart of The Factory at Franklin, you will find one of its longest-running tenants, world-renowned photographer, artist, and innovator Jeremy Cowart. Gifted with the ability to think and dream outside the box, Cowart’s award-winning work has been featured in Rolling Stone and Time magazines, and his art was showcased alongside Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol in a London museum auction.
A longtime Franklin resident, Cowart grew up in Hendersonville and studied graphic design in college. But for a creative mind like his, working for an ad agency quickly led to boredom. Having friends in the music business, Cowart was able to transition from creating ads to designing album covers and websites for friends. This turned into starting his own company, purchasing his first digital camera, and launching a career he had sworn was something he’d never do – become a photographer.
For many years, Cowart spent his time photographing celebrities. When asked about his most memorable experiences, Cowart replies, “Shooting an artist named Imogen Heap in Iceland, and touring the world with Chris Tomlin and his band was amazing.” He has done shoots with everyone from Taylor Swift to Emma Stone and found himself starstruck upon meeting Sting and Tyler Perry.
Now Cowart has made his artistry accessible at The Portrait Lab, offering locals the Hollywood treatment for a truly unique and revolutionary portrait session. This one-of-a-kind studio is located in the main building at The Factory at Franklin. Sessions at The Portrait Lab are unique because Cowart has created over 200 backdrops that rapidly rotate on a large LED wall and are synced with rotating light setups. Following your session, Cowart sits with you to review your photographs, edit and retouch them, and offers customizing backdrops. He describes the process as, “We shoot until we feel like we have it. It’s slow. It’s intentional. I can even
customize. We can put whatever you want on that wall. So if someone wants to bring their own art, a photo of something or someone that means something to them, we can customize their backdrop. Or we can use what I already have there.”
You may think portraits are best when taken in joyful moments, however, Cowart encourages clients to be open to capturing both the good and bad. Some of the most poignant portraits he has taken have been amid difficult circumstances.
For Cowart, the past couple of years have presented their own set of challenges as he was diagnosed with a rare genetic brain disease called Friedreich’s Ataxia, a disorder affecting the nerves, spinal cord, and cerebellum. It causes him to feel like he is in the ocean each time he stands up or walks around and can cause his speech to become slurred. Cowart says, “The good news is there are several avenues toward a cure, so I’m very hopeful.” Though the disease has affected Cowart’s coordination, he does not let that serve as a roadblock to pursuing his dreams and philanthropic ideas.
A visionary and entrepreneur, Cowart’s deep commitment to humanitarianism has fueled many projects. His work reflects his "belief in the power of art to foster empathy and healing,” he says. Cowart founded Help-Portrait, a global movement providing portraits to those in need, and launched Voices of Gatlinburg, a relief project following the wildfires. Another of his projects, Voices of Reconciliation, features Rwandan genocide survivors standing with those who killed their families and whom they now have forgiven.
Cowart’s talents are not limited to photography and art. He is the author of I’m Possible, a memoir challenging readers to face their fears, push beyond life’s challenges, and embrace their purpose. Additionally, his recent TedX talk at the Schermerhorn this past fall, will soon be available on all Ted Talk platforms. In it, he shares a message that has been on his heart for years; “The idea that the human body is the same as a camera body. The light we are letting in creates the image that comes out of us.”
The image Cowart exudes is one of compassion and hope. It has fueled a dream ten years in the making. The Purpose Hotel is, “a hotel chain designed to support charitable causes through every aspect of its operations,” he says. The idea is that each room will sponsor a child, and every item in the room, right down to the room key, will support charitable causes. With the project gaining traction, Cowart looks forward to the day this dream becomes a reality.
To know Cowart is to know a man who sees and dreams beyond the lens of the camera. His accomplishments are more than a list of things he has done. They are a living record of his impact and legacy not only in Franklin but around the world.
JeremyCowart.com /PortraitLab.co
“I’m addicted to learning. I feel like the minute you stop learning that’s when you become bored, jaded, and irrelevant.”