After four years, Society at 229 is closing its doors

COURTESY MONIQUE DOUGLAS

Guitarist Rod McCoy plays a set at Society at 229. The creative and meeting space, which opened in 2020, is closing at the end of August.

Society at 229, a historic space in Uptown Charlotte where artists, intellectuals, and community members flocked from all over the world, is closing.  

Society at 229, co-founded by CBK Branding and Consulting co-founders Kevin and Monique Douglas, continued Charlotte’s legacy of Black history and creativity as part of the Brooklyn Collective, a non-profit dedicated to preserving Charlotte’s once-thriving 1,400-home Black neighborhood wiped out in the 1960s by urban renewal. Society at 229 hosted artists in residence free of charge as well as the first Black fine arts fair in Charlotte, drawing over 1,500 people to the area. It also hosted jazz concerts three times a month, and its gallery space displayed works by local artists.

After years of community initiatives that included programming at 229 and the youth-oriented nonprofit Grooming Greatness, the Douglases have decided to prioritize their own personal health and wellness by closing the studio. However, it doesn’t mean that the couple are not continuing consulting and photography.

Community members communicated their support for the couple as they close this chapter of their lives.

“We are just overwhelmed with gratitude and humility,” said Monique Douglas, who is also executive director of Brooklyn Collective.

The studio, which began as a photography space for Kevin Douglas, launched just six weeks before the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Society at 229 emerged to be much more. Whether the studio space will continue to serve as a community hub is still yet to be determined.

“Even if those activities don’t happen out of the Brooklyn Collective, we have set a model for others to duplicate and continue to do the work,” Monique Douglas said.

Society at 299 will host a “grand finale” celebration on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m.

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