Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Holbrook.
Hi Kyle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I began building real momentum in Atlanta in the early 2000s. The city was expanding creatively through music, film, sports, and entrepreneurship, and I stepped into that environment ready to create and build something meaningful.
I launched my clothing lines KH Designs and Street Oligy, blending wearable art with street culture and custom design. I operated a kiosk at Stonecrest Mall where I customized airbrushed shirts, jackets, and portraits live in front of customers. It became more than a kiosk. It was a live creative experience. People would gather to watch the artwork unfold, and that taught me how to engage audiences in real time and how to merge art with energy and entrepreneurship.
As my network expanded, so did the scale of the projects. I created a mural at the former Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts located at 5616 Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. That mural was later featured in XXL Magazine, which was a defining early moment for me as an artist gaining national exposure.
Separately, I created a mural for LL Cool J’s cousin at his bar in Lithonia. That was a different project and a different environment, rooted more in nightlife culture and community gathering spaces. Each space required a different creative language, and Atlanta gave me the opportunity to develop that versatility.
I also designed a stage backdrop for Monica for her tour, and I collaboratively helped design an early stage set for Tyler Perry as he was building his theater presence in Atlanta. In addition, I created work for the Four Sisters Only event, which was its own powerful platform celebrating culture and community. Through a close friend who played in the NFL, I built relationships with professional athletes, which expanded my network into sports and entertainment. I also developed relationships within city leadership during that time, giving me insight into how art intersects with civic influence and long term community impact.
Atlanta taught me how to think bigger. I was moving between Lithonia, Marietta, Stone Mountain, Midtown and the city center, building relationships across industries. I learned that art is not confined to a wall or a canvas. It can live in fashion, on stage, in nightlife, in sports culture, and in civic spaces. It can build bridges between industries and between people.
That foundation ultimately evolved into the large scale public murals and international community driven art projects I lead today. Atlanta was one of the first places where I clearly understood that art is influence. It shapes culture, builds networks, and creates opportunity. That understanding continues to guide everything I do.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a completely smooth road.
Early on, I was funding my own vision. When you are building something creative before people fully understand it, you carry the weight financially, mentally, and emotionally. There were seasons when I was investing in materials, travel, production, and staff before the projects were guaranteed. You learn quickly how to balance risk with faith.
Another challenge was being taken seriously at scale. When you are young and operating across fashion, live art, stage design, and murals, some people see you as scattered rather than visionary. I had to prove that what I was building was not random projects but a larger ecosystem. That took time, consistency, and results.
There were also moments of rejection. Proposals that did not get accepted. Projects that fell through. Partnerships that did not align long term. You learn that every opportunity is not meant for you, and every closed door redirects your focus.
As the projects grew larger, the stakes grew larger. Managing teams, coordinating cities, handling budgets, navigating politics, and protecting your creative integrity all become part of the work. The art itself is only part of it. Leadership becomes just as important as talent.
But every challenge sharpened me. It taught me resilience, discipline, and how to operate with long term vision. The struggles forced me to build systems, strengthen relationships, and stay rooted in purpose rather than ego.
Looking back, the road was not smooth, but it was necessary. Every obstacle helped prepare me for the scale and responsibility I carry today
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At my core, I am a Artist, a muralist and creative director, but my foundation began in graphic design. I started by understanding composition, branding, typography, and visual storytelling on a smaller scale before translating those skills into fashion, film, and eventually large scale public art.
I have worked across multiple creative industries including fashion design, film production, stage design, and public art. I launched clothing lines that blended wearable art with street culture, designed stage sets and tour backdrops, and developed visual concepts for film and live events. That multidisciplinary background shaped how I approach murals today. I do not just paint walls. I design experiences.
I specialize in large scale, community driven murals that are created with people, not just for them. My work blends visual art, youth engagement, civic partnerships, and cultural storytelling. Over the years, I have created murals across the United States and internationally, and I am known for the collaborative process behind the work. I bring students, residents, educators, corporate teams, and city leaders into the design and painting process so the final piece becomes a shared achievement rather than a single artist’s signature.
I am especially proud of building a platform where art becomes a tool for inclusion. Many of my projects intentionally include individuals with special needs, diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and communities that do not always have access to large scale public art opportunities. Watching students see their ideas reflected on a wall in their own neighborhood is one of the most meaningful outcomes of my work.
What sets me apart is the combination of scale and versatility. I understand branding like a designer, production like a filmmaker, storytelling like a director, and execution like a muralist. I can operate at a high production level, managing large budgets, partnerships, and multi city initiatives, while still connecting one on one with a student holding a paintbrush for the first time.
I am not limited to one medium. Whether it is a garment, a stage, a film concept, or a fifty foot mural, the goal is the same. Create work that moves people and builds pride.
What I am most proud of is not a single project. It is the ripple effect. The students who feel seen. The communities that feel uplifted. The cities that embrace art as part of their identity. That is the work that continues to drive me.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is my family and my faith.
I was raised by a strong Black woman who was a dedicated math teacher. Watching my mother pour herself into her students shaped the way I think about responsibility. She showed me that real impact is built through consistency, discipline, and showing up every single day. That example still guides how I work with young people and communities.
My Aunt Misty and my Aunt Bunny were also instrumental in my journey. Aunt Bunny helped me write my first formal proposal when I was still learning how to structure my ideas into something sustainable. That moment changed everything. It was the shift from simply being creative to building something intentional. My Aunt Misty has always been a steady inspiration by example and voice of encouragement and belief, reinforcing the idea that what I was building mattered.
My uncles built one of the first successful Black owned painting companies in our region. Watching them operate at scale, manage teams, and build something lasting showed me that ownership and excellence were possible. That entrepreneurial spirit became part of my foundation.
And then there is my daughter, Kyla. I had her during my first semester of college. We grew up together in many ways. Today she is in her final year of medical school. Watching her dedication, resilience, and discipline inspires me every day. She represents what perseverance looks like over time. When I see her commitment to serving others through medicine, it pushes me to approach my own work with that same level of purpose and responsibility.
My faith anchors all of it. In a career that involves risk, leadership, travel, and constant growth, faith keeps me grounded. It reminds me that talent is a gift and impact is the goal.
At the end of the day, murals, fashion, film, and design are platforms. What matters most is the legacy we build, the people we uplift, and the example we set for the next generation. That is what drives me.
Pricing:
- • Community based mural projects typically begin around $15,000 to $25,000 depending on size, design complexity, and engagement..
- • School and youth engagement mural programs are custom structured based on the number of students, days of programming, and educational components.
- • Large scale public art initiatives with youth employment components can range from $250,000 to multi million dollar budgets depending on scope.
- • Some of my workforce driven mural initiatives have included: • Employing up to 300 youth participants at $1,000 each
- • Hiring 50 professional artists at rates ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 • Paint and materials budgets exceeding $200,000 • Corporate partnerships, city wide initiatives, and multi site projects are quoted individually based on scale, logistics, staffing, and production.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MLKmural.com
- Instagram: @Artworld187
- Youtube: @artworld9887
Image Credits
Maya Larson
Kirsten Coyle
Stephanie Strasburg
Nate Guidry
Duane Reider
