Artist · Producer · Cultural strategist

Carey
Fountain.

Human connection is my medium.

I bring music, visual art, games, and technology into experiences that invite people to question, contribute, and connect. Each work opens a conversation that can keep evolving.

I bring that creative practice and hands-on leadership to museums, nonprofits, and organizations—from program strategy and partnerships to team management and delivery.

Birmingham, Alabama · Art, music & public practice

A looping montage of Carey Fountain’s music, facilitation, paintings, Vibes & Virtues, Black Cherry Tree, and Wildcard work.
ONE PRACTICE. MANY FORMS.Art, sound & shared experience
Visual art & public practiceMusic & performancePrograms & partnerships

Music, visual art, and participation—different ways into the same conversation.

Experience the work.

For curators, collectors & artist opportunities

Visual art & exhibitions

Paintings, murals, installations, and collective artworks explore faith, identity, memory, and possibility. See the work and the questions behind it.

For listeners, bookers & music collaborators

Music & performance

Original songs I write and produce carry those questions into sound. Hear the catalog, see performance footage, or discuss a booking and custom production.

Strategy, leadership, and production for the people and organizations making it happen.

Bring the work to life.

For institutions, nonprofits & hiring teams

Consulting & cultural leadership

Turn a purpose into a program people can participate in. I connect strategy, partnerships, team leadership, and execution, with ways to understand participant perspectives when the project calls for them.

For organizations, brands & production clients

Media production with Meridian

Bring a story to the screen with a creative production team. Through Meridian, I collaborate on film, photography, interviews, and content, with support shaped around the project.

01 / Selected work

Many forms.
One conversation.

Music, visual art, participation, and cultural leadership are connected parts of my practice. Open a project to see its questions, process, collaborators, and the form it takes.

Showing 12 projects.

Wildcard / An introduction
Roots of Resilience / The Black Cherry Tree Project
Vibes & Virtues / How to play

A selection from an ongoing practice.

Music / Written & produced by Carey

Meet me
in the music.

I write and produce my own music. Faith, identity, responsibility, and connection run through the catalog; within Wildcard, songs also open questions that develop through conversation and visual art. Listen, watch a performance, or get in touch about a booking or original production.

01 / 2026

True Colors

A question of identity. Produced by Carey Fountain.

02 / 2026

Dad Mode

Fatherhood, in full color. Produced by Carey Fountain.

03 / 2026

Jesus is My Homeboi

Featuring Wescam. Produced by Carey Fountain.

Original production. Custom commissions. Live performance.Discuss music production or a performance

One practice, many ways to participate

A question
can travel.

In Wildcard, a question can become a song, a shared artwork, a gathering, and a new perspective. What people contribute helps shape what comes next. Follow one part of that ongoing process below.

What is Wildcard?
A participant holds an interactive token at Wildcard
01 / Begin

Make space for
a real answer.

Each theme creates an invitation to reflect. A question becomes a way into conversations about our lives, our values, and the world we share.

Explore the current theme

The practice, out in the world

Keep the connection going.

Wildcard Cultural Archive patterns view showing topics and emotional tones across reflectionsExplore patterns in the archive

A view of the living archive · September 2026

The Wildcard Cultural Archive

What can a room
tell us about a world?

Making qualitative experiences measurable while preserving the stories behind them. The Wildcard Cultural Archive brings participant reflections together so visitors can explore themes, compare perspectives, and follow patterns across events and communities.

VoicesPatternsCitiesEventsThemes
Explore the archive

From a shared experience to cultural insight.

  1. Invite a reflection

    An arts-based prompt gives participants a way to share a story, feeling, or perspective in their own words.

  2. Make patterns visible

    Organize contributions into themes and compare counts and distributions across events and places, with the original reflections still available to explore.

  3. Inform what comes next

    Help program teams identify questions to pursue, shape future experiences, and communicate what participants shared.

Patterns describe the people who participated. Their words provide the context behind the numbers.

Build a conversation briefDiscuss your institution’s needs

Start with what you want to make possible

What does your next project need?

A stronger connection with your community. A clearer picture of what people think. An artwork that belongs in your space. We can start with one need.

A program people help shape.

Bring a community into the conversation, with a clear plan for the people, partnerships, and practical work behind it.

Program design, facilitated workshops, community experiences, and implementation support.

Plan a program or experience

A way to listen—and learn.

Make it easier for people to share their perspectives, then explore what those contributions can tell your team.

Custom conversation prompts, exchange boards, response collection, and separately scoped analysis or digital archives.

Shape a conversation brief

Art with a connection to place.

Commission a mural, installation, or original work that gives your story a form people can see, hear, and experience.

Murals, participatory public art, exhibitions, original music, and commissioned sound.

Discuss a commission

See the approach in practice

From an idea to work in the world.

01

Building programs from the ground up

At Foot Soldiers Park, I lead program development from concept through execution, including partnerships and team management.

02

Turning participation into something you can explore

Wildcard connects shared art experiences with participant reflections. The Cultural Archive lets you explore those contributions across themes, events, and places.

Explore the Cultural Archive
03

Creating a mural with a community

For Selma Rising, young people shared ideas and sketches, voted on a design drawn from their contributions, and helped bring the mural to life.

Work with Carey

A thoughtful idea.
A way to make it happen.

From an original artwork to a new public program, I collaborate with people and organizations to develop thoughtful ideas and bring them into the world.

01

Murals, art & music

An idea made visible—or heard.

Murals, public art, exhibitions, installations, original music, and custom production for other artists.

What we could make

A commissioned mural, a community design workshop, a site-specific artwork, or an original track.

Start a conversation
02

Programs & partnerships

A clear path from purpose to participation.

Program development, partnership strategy, implementation planning, and advisory support.

What we could make

A program concept, partner outreach plan, delivery roadmap, or facilitated planning session.

Start a conversation
03

Cultural insight & participatory research

Understand what an experience makes possible.

I design arts-based experiences that invite people to share their perspectives, then build tools that turn those contributions into organized, explorable information. Discover recurring themes, compare responses across events and communities, and connect individual stories with broader patterns.

What we could create

Interactive reflection tools, audience feedback experiences, cultural archives, and dashboards that help teams interpret and communicate what they learn.

04

Experiences & facilitation

Make room for people to contribute.

Interactive gatherings, workshops, community conversations, and customized organizational experiences.

What we could make

A facilitated workshop, conversation series, or participatory experience shaped around your group.

Start a conversation

Consulting engagements begin with an agreed scope, deliverables, timeline, and fee.

Tell me about your idea

A conversation with a purpose

What would you like to understand?

Design a conversation for your community.

A custom Exchange Board gives people a shared place to respond, reflect, and connect. Tell me who you want to hear from and what you hope to learn. We’ll explore the right prompts, format, and support together.

About two minutes. No commitment—just a starting point.

Media production through Meridian

Need a camera crew
or a creative team?

I also work through Meridian, collaborating with a team to create films, photography, interviews, and content for organizations. From a focused shoot to ongoing production, we can bring the people and creative support your project needs.

  • Film & video
  • Photography
  • Branded content
  • Ongoing production

For branding, websites, campaigns, and automation, explore Meridian’s full services.

White Cadillac with a red roof, photographed for Impatient Creations in Meridian’s production portfolio
From the Meridian portfolio

Photography & content production
Impatient Creations Inc

Background & recognition

Experience that
informs the work.

From the studio to the museum to the community, each chapter shapes how I create, collaborate, and bring people together.

By starting year, most recent first.

Swipe or use Next to explore

2024–Present

Experience

Foot Soldiers Park & Education Center

Director of Programs & Partnerships

Leading programs from conceptualization to execution: program design, partnerships, team management, implementation, and community participation across youth leadership, civic learning, economic opportunity, and cultural programming.

Explore the work — Foot Soldiers Park & Education Center (opens in a new tab)

Since 2023

Editorial work

National Performance Network

Contributing writer & interviewer

Writing profiles of fellow Southern Artists for Social Change artists, tracing the ideas, cultural histories, and community relationships behind their work.

2020–2024

Experience

Birmingham Museum of Art

Manager of Public Programs & Partnerships

Developed public programs and partnerships across artist conversations, digital engagement, and in-person experiences. Co-hosted the Amy Sherald conversation and hosted Artists in Quarantine within the Learning & Engagement team.

Read the museum’s account — Birmingham Museum of Art (opens in a new tab)

2019–2020

Experience

ArtsRevive

Programming Director Intern

Created and coordinated arts programs while building relationships that supported community development in Selma and Dallas County.

View CV — ArtsRevive (opens in a new tab)

2016–2017

Experience

Space One Eleven

Administrative Associate

Supported a nonprofit contemporary arts organization through installations, community relations, communications, and event organization.

View CV — Space One Eleven (opens in a new tab)

01 / 12

Use the left and right arrow keys to explore cards. Home moves to the first card; End moves to the last.

National Performance Network

Voices from the Network / Selected writing

Stories from
the creative South.

I write about fellow Southern Artists for Social Change (SA4SC) artists for NPN’s Voices from the Network. These profiles explore the ideas, relationships, and community work behind their projects.

10 artist stories · By Carey Fountain

Newest first · 2023–2025

  1. ART+FACT and the power of storytelling (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Reclaiming Black history through community storytelling, performance, and an interactive game in Holly Springs, Mississippi.

    Read on NPN
  2. Spotlight: Black Rural Life (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Preserving and reimagining Black cultural traditions through illustration, storytelling, and intergenerational exchange.

    Read on NPN
  3. CANOA: Bridging cultures in New Orleans (read on NPN in a new tab)

    A gathering place connecting Caribbean and New Orleanian artists, culture bearers, and communities.

    Read on NPN
  4. The 5 Lil’ Penguins project (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Music and filmmaking as starting points for community participation and change in Birmingham.

    Read on NPN
  5. Amplifying Indigenous voices in the Gulf South (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Community-led media, cultural expression, and the continued Indigenous presence in the Gulf South.

    Read on NPN
  6. Reviving heritage through Canneciville (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Art, tribal leadership, and the work of sustaining Canneci Tinné history and traditions.

    Read on NPN
  7. Weaving cultural legacies through Blues To Bounce (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Tracing New Orleans cultural traditions through dance, music, literature, and collective memory.

    Read on NPN
  8. The WE Initiative (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Art and neighborhood history meet in a community project rooted in Huntsville’s Magnolia Terrace.

    Read on NPN
  9. after angola: Cinema, incarceration, and healing (read on NPN in a new tab)

    Documentary storytelling exploring life after incarceration and the relationships that shape reentry.

    Read on NPN
  10. The Art of Resistance (read on NPN in a new tab)

    An artist’s approach to healing, organizing, and social change through creative practice.

    Read on NPN
Carey Fountain seated, smiling with his hands clasped.
Carey Fountain

04 / The person behind the practice

Curiosity is
the common thread.

Music, visual art, technology, and community are different languages for the same vision.

I’m Carey Fountain, a multidisciplinary artist, producer, and cultural strategist based in Birmingham, Alabama. I create work that invites curiosity, challenges assumptions, and helps people understand themselves and one another.

My process moves through observation, conversation, reflection, and making. A question can become a song; a song can become a painting or shared experience. What people bring to that experience can shape the next question.

That artistic practice sits alongside experience leading programs, developing partnerships, and managing teams at cultural and community organizations. At Foot Soldiers Park and through my museum work, I have helped move ideas from concept into delivery. I bring both creative perspective and practical leadership to collaborations.

I also collaborate through Meridian, bringing a wider creative and production team to projects that need it.

From the studio & the community

The work is still unfolding.

Follow @careyfountain

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05 / For press, curators & collaborators

Biography, CV
& Press.

Read a conversation, explore the background, or find the materials for your next story, exhibition, or event.

Materials for your next step

For exhibitions, residencies, music bookings, professional roles, consulting, and production opportunities.

More exhibitions, collaborations & publications

Exhibitions & collaborative work

2026: There IS a Balm in Gilead, curator and artist; Leaving the Estuary, a collaborative painting with Case Fountain at Lowe Mill; World Waste at Lawson State.

2025: Bound Together and Threads of Remembrance, lead curator and artist at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

2021–2024: The Black Cherry Tree Project at Indian Springs; Branches of Memory at Gallery Vox; Different / Fit at Alabama Contemporary Art Center.

2018–2020: Elevation vs. Infatuation at Vinegar; Mendin’ Fences at Gallery 905; For Freedoms Alabama.

Writing, documentation & conversation

My publications include artist profiles for National Performance Network, an essay for Grantmakers in the Arts, photography and videography for Sara Garden Armstrong’s Threads and Layers, and a contribution to Charity Ponter’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet.

Recent speaking includes the 2026 African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium convening, AFTACON, and Forecast Public Art’s Creative Power, Civic Purpose series.

Explore dates, credits & the full artistic CV
Read my artist statement

Human connection is my medium. I work across music, painting, murals, games, technology, and participatory experiences because each offers a different way to ask a question and invite someone into it. I am interested in how we understand ourselves, encounter one another, and make meaning together.

My process begins with curiosity: observing, listening, discussing, and reflecting. Through Wildcard, songs, collective artworks, and community conversations inform one another over time. Participation is part of the creative process. What someone shares can change the work, challenge an assumption, or become the beginning of another question.

Faith is the foundation of my practice. I understand creation as stewardship and seek to honor God through work made with care, honesty, and excellence. That commitment makes room for complexity, different perspectives, and questions I cannot answer alone. Whether I am making a song, a painting, or a shared experience, I hope it creates the possibility for deeper connection.

Download artist statement

A clear way to work together

Start with the purpose. Build the right scope.

You do not need a finished brief—or a particular product in mind—to begin.

  1. 01

    Understand the need

    Share who the project is for, what you want to make possible, and the constraints you are working within.

  2. 02

    Agree on the work

    Define the format, responsibilities, deliverables, timeline, and fee. Decide whether you need design, facilitation, production, or support across the project.

  3. 03

    Create, deliver, reflect

    Bring the agreed work to life. If response collection is part of the scope, plan how contributions will be captured, interpreted, and shared.

Art, music & opportunities

Where can I find materials for an exhibition, residency, or artist review?

The press kit brings together my artistic CV, biography, artist statement, press photos, and selected coverage. Project pages show work samples and context. Contact me if your opportunity calls for a particular selection, image, or format.

Open the artist press kit
Can I book a performance or commission music?

Yes. I write and produce my own music and take on custom projects for other artists and collaborators. Share the event or idea, location, date, and budget if known. We can discuss the musical direction, performance format, production needs, and fee before confirming the work.

Can I commission an artwork without a workshop or program?

Yes. A painting, mural, installation, or music commission can stand on its own. Community participation is an option when it serves the work. We agree the creative direction, scope, timeline, and fee together.

Programs, consulting & project scope

Can we discuss a professional role or a leadership opportunity?

Yes. My experience includes program development, partnerships, team management, public programming, and creative production. Use the professional résumé and project examples to explore the fit, then share the role, responsibilities, location, and timing through the inquiry form.

Can you work with our existing team or program?

Yes. An engagement can focus on a specific part of a program—such as experience design, facilitation, partnership strategy, or reflection tools. We agree who owns each part of the work before it begins.

Do we need to use Wildcard or buy a whole system?

No. Wildcard is one example of my practice. You can commission a standalone artwork, workshop, exchange board, program, or music project. The format follows your purpose.

How much staff time, budget, or lead time do we need?

That depends on the format, scale, location, and support you need. Share a target date and budget range if you have them. We can discuss a focused engagement or a broader scope, with responsibilities and fees agreed before work starts.

We already collect feedback. What would this add?

Arts-based prompts give people another way to contribute during an experience. They can sit alongside your existing surveys and reporting. We start with the question you need to understand and choose a collection method that fits the setting.

What can the data tell us—and what will we receive?

When included in the scope, participant responses can be organized into themes, counts, and comparisons while keeping the original words in context. They describe the people who contributed; they do not, by themselves, prove impact or represent everyone. Reports, spreadsheets, or a custom webpage are agreed deliverables, not automatic extras.

Will participant responses be public?

We agree on consent, what is collected, who can access it, and how it may be shared before collection begins. A project does not have to become part of the public Cultural Archive.

An opportunity, a question, or an unfinished idea?

Tell me what you have in mind. An exhibition invitation, music booking, commission, or program brief can begin with a conversation about fit and next steps.

Discuss your project

06 / Make something meaningful

What could we
create together?

An exhibition. A performance. A leadership role. A program or production made together.

Tell me about the opportunity—an artistic invitation, booking, consulting engagement, professional role, or media project. Include the context, timing, and budget or compensation range if known. We can start with a question.

Your inquiry goes directly to carey@vibesandvirtues.com. No email app needed.

Inside Wildcard