Art culture King
The Great Escape
Grand Hall Art Project
UNVEILING: September 5, 2025, 5-8PM
September 5, 2025 - August 2026
In this series of paintings, titled The Great Escape, artist Art Culture King powerfully confronts his personal battles within the art world. Using a unique blend of acrylic and airbrush techniques, he masterfully creates the illusion of spray-painted graffiti on brick. Art Culture King’s aimed to evoke the raw, urban energy of street art while providing a rich metaphor for his internal struggles.
Through this project, Art Culture King explores the profound and often-conflicting emotions he’s experienced: the debilitating weight of social anxiety, the persistent shadow of imposter syndrome, and the confusion of feeling these things despite his undeniable talent. The Great Escape serves as a poignant and honest self portrait of an artist navigating a complex and challenging creative landscape.
The Grand Hall Art Project, begun in 2021, is an exhibition program featuring original, commissioned work by professional artists installed in the Foundry Art Centre’s Grand Hall. As with all of the Foundry’s arts and exhibitions programs, the project places special emphasis on the extraordinary talent of our region’s artists. These site-specific works will be a major focal point in the space throughout the year, serving as an important and vibrant backdrop for the Foundry’s next year of programming and events. The works are available for sale.
About Art Culture King
Art Culture King, aka Cameron Williams, is a passionate St. Louis-based illustrator and painter. His work explores themes of mental health and childhood trauma. With a distinctive style that blends colorful imagery, powerful lines, graffiti-style storytelling, and complex meaning, Art Culture King captures the imagination and invites viewers into richly crafted visual worlds.
His work has been shown at Paint Louis; Shakespeare in the Park; Art, Mimosas, and Pancakes; Vibe STL; Graciously Noticed Art Expo, and Sofie’s Artist Lounge.
Williams would like to thank everyone who has supported his journey, and hopes to continue creating work in which he can grow as an artist.
This exhibition is made possible with public support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
For more information, please email Jessica Mannisi, Director of Exhibitions, at jmannisi@foundryartcentre.org.