NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community is mourning the loss of a man who gave them a safe space to have fun and find their chosen family.
Darek Tanner, beloved owner of Canvas in East Nashville, has died . Those who knew Tanner told News 2 he was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community not just in Nashville, but Tennessee as a whole.
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“He opened Canvas, pretty much, on a dream. He just wanted a place to hang out with his friends.” Canvas’ co-owner, Jon Byrne, said. “He didn’t want money. It wasn’t about that. It was more about the love.”
Canvas first opened in 2011 on Church Street before relocating to Fatherland Street in 2022. Canvas has hosted everything from dance parties and drag shows to partnerships with local non-profits like Nashville CARES , a clinic offering healthcare and free HIV testing for LGBTQ+ people.
“Canvas has always been a bar for misfits in the community. It’s also a safe haven and that’s what Darek really did more so than anyone else in the city,” Byrne said. “A lot of people wouldn’t have any of their chosen family if he wasn’t in the picture.”