Creative Placemaking Project

The King’s Canvas

Montgomery, Alabama

In a formerly vacant commercial storefront, The King’s Canvas provides critical access to arts supplies, classes on various artistic techniques, entrepreneur trainings, and opportunities for artists to show and sell their art.

The studio sits in the West Side of Montgomery, Alabama, in Washington Park, a neighborhood with a rich history of Black entrepreneurship and excellence that has experienced decades of disinvestment and widespread vacancy.

After a sixteen-year hiatus from using his creativity, Kevin King, founder and executive director of The King’s Canvas, was gifted painting supplies, leading him down a journey of community-building through art. Recognizing his neighbors needed greater artistic opportunities, Kevin sought out a vacant storefront in his West Side neighborhood to serve as a multipurpose studio space for under-developed artists. While parts of Montgomery have experienced a creative renaissance, a gap exists in the resources, technical training, gallery space, and studio space for Black artists to be creative.

The King’s Canvas provides studio space and lessons for community members at varying artistic skill levels. They provide art-based programming to local schools and youth development organizations. The King’s Canvas also goes beyond the arts, connecting community members to resources such as financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and life skills classes, as well as social services like health care and housing. The organization is active in developing a strategic vision to address vacancy in the neighborhood. For example, The King’s Canvas uses a vacant lot adjacent to the studio for community gatherings, celebrations, and outdoor marketplace events where artists can sell their work.

A mural outside of The King’s Canvas Gallery and Studio and proclaims, “Welcome to the West Side,” part of the historic Selma to Montgomery trail, capturing the essence of The King’s Canvas’ work to lift up the rich historic legacy of the West Side through the arts.

Impacts

Development of new entrepreneurs. The classes and resources provided by The King’s Canvas have enabled artists to hone their entrepreneurial skills, contributing to the creative economy and providing residents with additional access to the arts. Five businesses have started as a result of the Lean Canvas Small Business Start Up classes held at The King’s Canvas, including Symphony Q Academy Of Dance (SQAD), launched by Dancer Quan Littleton. It is the first Black-owned dance academy with a focus on ballet in Montgomery, Alabama.

Increased patronage to businesses. Local business in Washington Park have seen an uptick in customers thanks in part to the “Welcome to the West Side” mural, popup art markets in the vacant lot the mural overlooks, and efforts to share the story of the West Side’s rich history in the civil rights movement.
New interest in activating vacant spaces. Local groups and business owners are considering activating other vacant buildings in close proximity to The King’s Canvas because of the increased foot traffic and sense of community. Kevin King explains, “For a community like ours that once had thriving Black business districts prior to the interstate system destroying the community, this is a game changer.”

Lessons Learned

You are only as strong as your community. King feels that The King’s Canvas is only as successful as its other creative placemaking partners. He advocates for other Black-led organizations in the city to be properly resourced, staffed with full-time employees, and given exposure at the local and national levels.
Focus on relationships and building community. People need relationships in order to transform their lives, and ultimately their communities. The King’s Canvas has helped to develop those relationships through their classes, art markets, mentorship, and other direct services. Investing in people is foundational to their strategy to revitalize the community.

Property Type: Commercial Structure
Project Type/ New Use: Art – Small Scale (e.g. painting; performance; visual)
Project Purpose: Provide skills and gallery space for Black artists; Decrease commercial
Duration: Permanent

Initial Cost:
Funding Source: Philanthropic; Individual contributions

Organization Type: Nonprofit - Arts and Culture
Implementation Partners: Nonprofit – Other
City: Montgomery
State: Alabama
Community Type: Urban

Project Website: The King’s Canvas >
Social: Facebook >
Press: The King’s Canvas tells a Montgomery neighborhood’s story in vibrant color>

Project Photos

Last updated: October 2021 – Do you have additional information about this project? Please use the share your placemaking project form » to share that information.

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