St. Louis Art Place Initiative
Building Wealth for Artists Through Homeownership
The St. Louis Art Place Initiative (API) is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded in 2019 by the Incarnate Word Foundation, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and the Regional Arts Commission with a mission to build wealth for artists through homeownership and transform vacant spaces into cultural assets with communities.
API’s primary focus is in the Gravois Park neighborhood, where it secured 25 parcels of vacant and deteriorating properties from St. Louis City to build 20 units of single-family housing made available for purchase to low- and moderate-income artists. Homes are sold back to a community land trust to preserve long-term affordability, ensuring artists can remain rooted in their neighborhoods for generations.
Beyond housing, API runs several programs including Art Makes Neighbors, which turns vacant lots into green and art spaces; Cultural Asset Development, which co-designs community resources with residents; and Resident Co-Design, an ongoing engagement process involving town halls and visioning sessions. The organization also offers homebuyer readiness education in partnership with Habitat for Humanity St. Louis.
In 2026, API was named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, reflecting its growing national recognition as a model for arts-based community development.