Meet Princess Whittington | Co-founder of Black Canvas

We had the good fortune of connecting with Princess Whittington and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Princess, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I had lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for some time and noticed there were not many open mic nights that catered to my age group. Most of the talented and experienced artists were older and there seemed to be a lack of age diversity. I attended several mic nights in different states and there was just that ‘jazzy soul’ missing in the heart of Dallas. I reached out to a friend, Cameron Johnson, and shared the idea that I wanted to start an open mic because I knew he had a love for black artistry and we collaborated and brought Black Canvas to life! We brought along a dope host by the name of Kevin Williams and our favorite dj, Gabriel Sheffield to deliver the vibes.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My love for writing and people goes deep. During the day, I am assisting children with speech and language in the therapy room, and during the night, I work on my personal goals to make my endeavors like Black Canvas and my mental health organization, Mental Health Speaks, better. Each day may present a new task, but that’s okay because I get it done. I believe I am right where I am supposed to be, professionally, because it’s opening up more doors to. I got here through God’s help and I know he has so much more he wants to do with me! I want people to know that it’s okay to start from nothing because it makes the journey and the blossom of success that much greater! As long as people continue to show up for lack Canvas we will continue to show up for you all because the love is there.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my bestie was making her way down to the DFW.. I would definitely take her to Bitter End, for cheap drinks and bomb music. We would eat at H & Js bbq spot, Caribbean Cabana, and Kitchen and Kocktail (formerly True Kitchen), and Ella B’s. To view the skyline, we would hit up Catbird. Of course, she would have to come to Black Canvas for the drinks, music, talent, and vibes. We would enjoy the Farmer’s market, and eat my fav ice cream from Cauldron.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There would not be a ‘Black Canvas’ without Cameron Tendaji-Johnson, Gabriel Sheffield, Kevin Williams, Freakwency Band, Maurice Curtis, and all of the Blackity-Black creatives who grace the stage and share a piece of them with others. Black Canvas has grown so much and we could not have been able to do without our people!

Instagram: dallasblackcanvas

Other: blackcanvas2017@gmail.com