Mr. Cannon, 37, said he already knew that Ms. James, 30, “was someone I could see myself with.” On November 7, what they consider their anniversary, he sent Ms. James a message asking her to be his girlfriend after she left his apartment. He did not respond.
“I let him sweat a little,” said Ms. James, who wished he’d asked in person. “I felt a little weird about it,” Mr. Cannon said, laughing. He was nervous but confident about their relationship. They became official – in person – later that day.
In 2017, they moved in together on the Lower East Side. Every Sunday, they would take long walks or bike rides, explore art galleries, or try a new restaurant, a tradition they would maintain for years to come.
In 2016, Ms. James’s workload increased as a newly appointed advertising sales associate at Condé Nast. By 2018, he was promoted to marketing manager. While working in retail, Mr. Cannon continued to focus on his art. The couple said that their professional ambitions led to some distance over the next few years. “We weren’t like we were in previous years, so they relied on those Sundays to stay connected,” Mr. Cannon said.
Ms. James, who grew up in Washington, D.C., is director of corporate strategy and strategic partnerships at Condé Nast. She has a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Mr. Cannon, who is from Racine, Wisconsin, moved to New York in 2009 to pursue art.
When the pandemic halted work at his retail job, Mr. Cannon began exploring more opportunities in the art world. At night, he transformed the living room of their cramped apartment into his art studio. That work became part of a group exhibition titled “”.gathering”Held in April 2021 at the now-closed Housing Gallery on the Lower East Side.