Blank Space Bham

09/05/2024

What a warm and encouraging response to the Rev. Shuttlesworth mural you all have had (and before we even shared the final version here on Instagram a year late 😅!!) Figured I ought to share it now in its’ final form.

We partnered with Legal Services Alabama (LSA) to create a mural that communicates in a visual way that the past still lives with us in Alabama today. It was (and remains) our wish that this mural will not only serve as a beacon of hope to LSA clients but also as a reminder to the community that the work to fight poverty and systemic injustice continues.

As a civil rights icon instrumental in the Freedom Rides and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Shuttlesworth was chosen as the subject of the mural to honor a local changemaker whose work is tied to the goals of LSA – increased justice, fairness and hope for all.

Reverend Shuttlesworth was someone we could all look up to. The tenacity. The courage. The God given strength to inspire a city...a nation...a movement, forward. He was a force to be reckoned with and it was an incredible privilege to organize this mural and paint alongside Jamie to honor his legacy.

11/16/2023

Last week I had the joy of celebrating with the Main Street Inc. team, family, and friends the official “unveiling” of the mural I designed and led through Blank Space Bham, “Steel Magnolias.”

It was so gratifying to share space with so many from the community as they explored the work and newly launched augmented reality details. I’m immensely proud of the team that helped me bring this mural vision to life–Dewon Moton with his stunning portrait work and Mary Grace Tracy with her careful detail work across the entirety of this piece. This mural was a labor of love, filled with lots of symbolism that not only speaks to the strength of the women represented on the wall but also to my own roots as a Southern woman raised and influenced by strong women throughout my life.
I have always been surrounded by Steel Magnolias.

Thanks to all those who continue to support me and my dream for a brighter world through public art. As I mentioned in the interview, “You don’t have to change the world to change YOUR world.” Get out there, roll up your sleeves, and make a mark on your community.

09/01/2023

For the past five years, the City of Birmingham has honored the unsung ‘sheroes’ of our Magic City with an annual celebration called StrongHer– this campaign profiles some truly extraordinary women and shares their stories across both the City website and social media platforms.

Last night, I was one of the more than 100 women from these five classes of StrongHer that were honored in a special celebration at the historic Boutwell Auditorium where we got to see an exclusive sneak peek at the BOOK that will feature our stories! (I’m excitedly posing in front of the cover in one of the photos below.) I’m humbled beyond measure to share space with so many incredibly kind, brave, and smart change makers in Birmingham.

This month marks one year of working full time as a business owner and muralist. After growing Blank Space Bham for the better part of the past decade by squeezing projects and meetings in where I could into breaks, evenings and weekends, I cannot begin to articulate how full my heart feels for the opportunities placed in front of me to fully invest in my own dream this past year. I’ll never forget this euphoria of what it feels like to walk so confidently in a calling. My work is my ministry and I feel so blessed to be able to create art in community with this special city that I love so deeply, day in and day out.

Here’s to another year filled with color, community, and JOY! 💖

07/31/2023

This past Saturday I had the beautiful opportunity to indulge in all the things I love: nature, art, and community. Through partnerships with Red Dirt Residency and Ruffner Mountain, Blank Space began to engage local residents in a collaborative design process to bring a new mural to the neighborhood. The photos shared here are a peek into a day filled with learning and creativity!

We started our time together with a reading from my favorite children’s book (and a big inspiration to my community mural practice) before deep diving into a crash course on native plants and animals. We even got to meet a few new friends 🦉🐍 I had the best time with everyone and I cannot wait to utilize the artwork created by these children and families into my next piece for the new Red Dirt Residency community space (currently in development.)

If you or someone you know lives and works in East Lake and would like to contribute some artwork inspired by the area to our window installations or mural, please feel free to reach out!

07/09/2023

We’ve completed our latest mural!

Designed & managed by: Meghan McCollum. I was joined on this installation by two incredible local artists, Dewon Moton (on the beautiful portrait work) and Mary Grace Tracy who had a hand in just about everywhere else I needed her!

Commissioned by: Main Street, Inc.

Located at: 920 19th Street North, Birmingham, AL

Interactive augmented reality portion launching August 10th!

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“Steel Magnolias” represents a vision of transformational female leaders from across Alabama–the individual stories of grace, strength, and resolve in the face of adversity across the lives and work of the women featured in this mural make each of them, to me, a true embodiment of the idiom.

As you pan across the piece, the faces of our featured Magnolias may be familiar to you: Harper Lee, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, and Helen Keller. What may give you pause however is the woman at the center of it all…and that is with complete intention. Anchoring this work is a portrait of a nameless woman meant to represent the “everyday” woman– the woman that perhaps doesn't even recognize her strength under pressure, but is beautifully centered within the shared history of the great women of our state. Her place in the mural, along with the gentle gesture of her hand and the concentric arches that ripple out from her like abstracted water rings speak to the interconnectedness of this shared identity of what it means to be a Steel Magnolia and the growing impact these women have/have had all around them. She serves as a reminder that you too can change the world.

Tying these portraits together from left to right are different repeated motifs aiming to bolster the message of this mural as well as add visual interest to the piece. The quilt (and the diversity of the women included) allude to a sense of togetherness to unite into something beautiful. The quilted imagery pulled from references to Gee’s Bend Quilters is also a nod towards our state’s rich cultural heritage of storytelling and the arts through mediums such as textiles/quilting (and is another incredible example of strong female leaders of Gee’s Bend!)

The colors selected for this design work to complement the pre-existing background color and awnings installed over two of the three doors on this wall. The cool tones are meant to draw the mind towards calming (yet life-giving) water, and the bright quilted colors speak to the vibrancy of the depicted women, while their portraits completed in black and white evoke the sense of stoicism and strength of our Steel Magnolias.

Scattered across the mural are magnolias, and our state flower the camellia. These quintessential “Southern” blooms are a literal representation of the mural’s namesake, but they also serve as another abstract representation of the beauty in which these featured women-led. Beyond their symbolic meaning to our historical figures, however, the floral blooms are a motif I commonly utilize in my work, allowing me, in my own way, to feel tied to the incredible stories of these special folks.

This design is something I am extremely honored to have painted on the side of the Main Street Inc. building. I’m humbled to be invited into this process with such a great company, and with an incredible team of local artists by my side. The scale and location alone make this a special opportunity for us to honor these incredible women, but it also serves as the perfect billboard to share a reminder about the strength that lives inside each of us to change the world!

I hope you all love this mural as much as I do! If you go take pictures, be sure to tag us and share! 💖

07/09/2023

A little peek into the process of the making of our latest mural, "Steel Magnolias."

Mural designed & managed by: Meghan McCollum
Installed by: Joining me in painting this mural were two incredible local artists, Dewon Moton (on the beautiful portrait work) and Mary Grace Tracy who had a hand in just about everywhere else I needed her!

Commissioned by: Main Street, Inc.

Located at: 920 19th Street North, Birmingham, AL

Interactive augmented reality portion launching on August 10th!

04/29/2023

If you follow along on Instagram, you've undoubtedly seen all the photos shared from Magic City Mural Fest 2022. However, as there are quite number of new followers to our page, I thought now would be the perfect time to share some photos (and a little info!) behind the mural festival! Blank Space has had the privilege of working with our friend and neighborhood association president, Jason Avery, over the past couple of years to develop a truly special placemaking project called "The Way" for the historic Birmingham neighborhood of Woodlawn.

Through the ups and downs of growth and decline, Woodlawn has always remained as a community defined by strength. No one embodies that better than the women that call it home. This mural festival, led by women and featuring an all-female artist lineup, aims to speak to that strength, grace, and resiliency that has come to define this special community.

A collaborative effort between the neighborhood and Blank Space, the concept of this festival serves a purpose beyond just elevating the voices of women in the street art realm. Aiming for an aspect of “informed community design,” we worked with Jason to identify key gatekeepers in Woodlawn to help usher along a festival that has lasting, positive impact communally and economically.

Murals are only a portion of the story of this project! Partnering with the neighborhood, The Way (the alleyway in which all of these murals can be found) will feature the addition of lighting, security cameras, seating and landscaping in true placemaking fashion. Soon, the businesses that back on to this once unusable space will be able to utilize the additional outdoor area in a way that will be an added resource to help them continue to serve the community they love!

I'd like to thank our presenting sponsor of the past two years, Woodlawn United for their generous gifts– under CEO Mashonda Taylor's leadership, their organization has provided a range of support from helping fund the murals themselves, to hosting our artist banquet. I'd also like to thank REV Birmingham for their constant efforts to help secure additional funding to ensure the continued build out of the space, as well as the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association for their guidance and warm hospitality. A big thank you also goes to Councilor JT Moore - District 4 ,Bekah Fox, Clay Ousley, and all the good folks of Woodlawn that have worked in some way or another to make this dream a reality.

Extra special thank yous go to my co-organizer Jason, and each of the participating artists from the past two years...this space just simply wouldn't be as magical without the love you all poured in to it 💖

04/26/2023

When the mayor shares your latest mural's progress 👀🔥🥰

Thanks to our friend Daniel Roth (from the early days of Blank Space!) for taking the time to capture this awesome footage for the City of Birmingham. Our mural is located at 1820 7th Ave North, right across from City Hall.

04/26/2023

It's only been three days since we finished the last touches on our Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth mural for Legal Services Alabama, but time has flown by! Having artist Jamie Bonfiglio collaborate on this piece with Blank Space was even more than I could have dreamt of. She worked hard to deliver an impeccable portrait of the Reverend and showed so much grace and flexibility in being open to the background/elements I added throughout. I will not soon forget how powerful this process of creating in community with her has been for me. We were left with, if I may say so, a truly beautiful and vibrant piece of work that I will be forever proud of.

In the days since completion, we've been touched by how warmly the public has responded to this work. With photos and an article now shared by local news outlet Bham Now, I wanted to take some time to share some of my own photos of the process.

Many folks have asked, "Why Reverend Shuttlesworth?" The answer is simple– he deserves it. For a fuller look into the context of this work though, I will share a snippet from our mural fundraiser/press release below!

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"Legal Services Alabama (LSA) and Blank Space Bham are partnering to bring a new mural of Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth to the heart of downtown Birmingham!

As a civil rights icon instrumental in the Freedom Rides and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Shuttlesworth was chosen as the subject of the mural to honor a local changemaker whose work is tied to the current goals of LSA – increased justice, fairness and hope for all.

Approved by the City of Birmingham's Design Review Committee, this contemporary portrait of, "The most courageous civil rights fighter in the South" as described by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on the LSA building is meant to signal an ongoing commitment to racial and economic justice by associating the current work done by LSA with the work accomplished by the giants of the Civil Rights Movement.

Newly finished on the side of Legal Services of Alabama's Birmingham office, the mural is bright and modern, contrasting the images typically available of historic figures. LSA and Blank Space Bham feel this is a visual way to communicate that the past still lives with us in Alabama today. It is our wish that this mural will not only serve as a beacon of hope to LSA clients but also as a reminder to the community that the work to fight poverty and systemic injustice continues."

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When snapping your photos of the mural, don't forget to tag , , and on Instagram!

We'll be sharing details soon about the official unveiling event for the mural ❤️

02/01/2023

Honored to be able to partner with Legal Services Alabama and artist Jamie Bonfiglio to bring this mural to life in the Magic City! Donate to our funding campaign by following the link and be sure to share ❤️

Legal Services Alabama (LSA) and Blank Space Bham are partnering to bring a new mural of… Meghan McCollum needs your support for LSA CommUNITY Mural Campaign

01/25/2023

I remember this moment like it was yesterday–a ball of nerves and excitement, the evening before the second annual Magic City Mural Fest began. One by one, the remaining blank walls of the alleyway were primed in preparation for their transformations at the hands of our visiting artists. I knew something special was coming in the days ahead, and I couldn’t help but smile wide at the thought. lent a hand to lighten the load, and together we shared in conversation (and contagious anticipation) of all the beauty soon to come.

I know snaps of the week are long overdue, but I’m excited to begin to share them with you now! I’ll be forever grateful for our week making magic in “The Way.” MCMF couldn’t have happened without the generous support from our presenting sponsor, and contributing funds the Alabama State Council on the Arts via the stewardship of and the donations of friends, family, and strangers just like you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this dream with us!