Cano Ozgener (seated) with his son TimPhoto: Michael W. Bunch
Cano Aret Ozgener, founder of OZ Arts Nashville — a popular destination for cutting-edge art experiences, including performances and visual arts events — died peacefully in his home on Saturday, June 9. Ozgener, who had waged a long battle with cancer, was 81. He was surrounded by family, including his wife of 54 years, Esen; children Murat (Tim) Ozgener and Aylin Ozgener; sister Esperanz Minassian; grandchildren Aloe Franke, Sean Franke, Cano Evan Ozgener, and Aidan Ozgener; daughter-in-law Arnita Ozgener; and son-in-law Scott Hethcox.
To say that Mr. Ozgener wore many hats would offer only a cheap estimation of the breadth of experience he lived during his 81 years. Born in Istanbul in 1937, he learned to speak French, English and German in addition to his native Turkish. He also won the Ping-Pong Championship of Turkey — an event that, for a person less accomplished than Ozgener, would likely have been the pinnacle of life achievements. But for Ozgener, it's only the first bullet point of many of his varied accomplishments.
Ozgener moved to New York in 1962 to attend Columbia University, where he graduated in 1962 with a Master of Science degree and in1964 with a professional degree in mechanical engineering. It was also at Columbia where he met Esen, who would become his wife of 54 years — she, along with their children, grandchildren and a sister, was at his side when he died.
The Ozgeners moved to Nashville in 1968, and started a family: son Tim was born in 1969, and daughter Aylin was born in 1972. Cano Ozgener continued to work as an engineer, researching and developing polyester synthetic fibers at DuPont. Then, in the kind of 180-degree shift that would become his signature style, Ozgener left his lucrative engineering career to pursue a fascination with artisanal meerschaum tobacco pipes. That led to CAO Cigars, the company he started in 1994, which quickly became world-renowned and distributed in more than 100 countries.
In 2006, while Ozgener was undergoing cancer treatment, he discovered that he was able to find solace in art. At age 70, he became a prolific artist, producing close to 500 paintings and dozens of sculptures. The Ozgeners sold the cigar company in 2007, but by 2012 they had started the next chapter in their lives — OZ Arts Nashville. The inspiration for its formation emerged, the family says, from Cano‘s near-death experience while undergoing stem-cell transplant for lymphoma. An Irish lullaby sung by a nurse, and the act of painting the colors of nature led to his discovery that “art is able to invigorate your soul and help your physical and mental fight.”
In 2014, Wayne McGregor and the Random Dance Company opened the inaugural season of OZ Arts. In the years since, OZ has hosted plays by Peter Brook, musical performances by Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson and Kid Koala, and dance presentations from Kyle Anderson and the Trisha Brown Dance Company. But just as important as those big-marquee names are the local visual artists he helped foster. Tony Youngblood's Modular Art Pods took off at OZ, Brandon Donahue transformed the space into a sports-themed rave for last year's Family Day, and Alex Lockwood hung his first shotgun-shell tapestry inside the walls of OZ.
In advance of its 2014 debut, the Scene's late editor Jim Ridley wrote: “OZ is setting an Olympic-size bar, both for local audiences' expectations and local artists' imaginations. Next time you're driving out Centennial Boulevard, somewhere beyond those razor-wire fences, picture a place where dancers land on soft feet, worlds are built of props and music, and creative minds are busy at work. Then tell yourself, three times if needed: There's no place like home.”
If we follow Ridley's analogy, Cano Ozgener was not only the wizard pulling all of OZ's strings, but also the scarecrow who masterminded it; the tin man with the big, selfless heart; and the courageous lion who gave OZ its slogan: Brave New Art.
