St Louis Art Place Initiative Inc

St. Louis Art Place Initiative builds wealth for artists through homeownership and transforms vacant spaces into cultural assets with communities.

Let's double it!

Let's double what we raised last go round! Give when the match is live to see your money doubled! Give during the power hours to see your money increase up to 15%. Every little bit counts on the way to our goal!

Origin story

In 2018, the St. Louis City Planning Commission adopted the Gravois-Jefferson Historic Neighborhoods Plan. Within the comprehensive vision was a call for a non-profit, community-owned housing model to ensure artists and art spaces could root long-term, while utilizing art to enhance and transform vacant lots into vibrant spaces. The St. Louis Art Place Initiative (API) was founded to fulfill that call in Gravois Park.

API was co-founded in 2019 by the Incarnate Word Foundation, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and the Regional Arts Commission. API secured 26 parcels of vacant and deteriorating properties in Gravois Park from St. Louis City to build at least 18 units of single-family housing, art spaces, and green spaces. The homes are made available for purchase to low and moderate-income artists through an application process. In partnership with neighbors, community advocates, and stakeholders, API and its community engagement partner, Dutchtown South Community Corporation, will form a cultural asset community land trust to ensure the mission of API is fulfilled in perpetuity. The land trust will manage the future resale of homes, as well as own and manage communal art and green spaces in the API footprint for the benefit of the Gravois Park community.