Project Overview
Who
Created in 2010, the Souls Grown Deep Foundation holds one of the most significant collections of contemporary African American art in the country. That’s more than 1,200 works by upwards of 160 artists from the American South — two-thirds of them women. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure these artists finally receive their rightful place in American art history, and its collection has found homes at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, and the High Museum of Art.
What
- Drupal website design and development
- Ongoing WebOps maintenance and support
- Drupal 9-to-10 upgrades
- High-resolution image optimization
- Accessibility compliance
- Third-party platform integration
Results at a Glance
Since 2016, Cheeky Monkey Media has served as the WebOps partner behind the Souls Grown Deep Foundation’s website. Our team continuously makes sure this digital gallery continues to do justice to work that’s spent decades overlooked. Our job isn’t just keeping the site running. It’s making sure the art itself always looks the way it deserves to.
Built and maintained a Drupal website with high-resolution artwork
Completed a Drupal 9-to-10 upgrade
Refined image quality standards to preserve the art
Integrated with Image Lab's Print Shop
The Challenge
A Website That Wasn't Doing the Art Justice
Souls Grown Deep's artists had spent decades being excluded from the American art world. Their website was supposed to help fix that. But a generic, template-driven site wasn't giving the work the presence or credibility it deserved. Visitors browsing online weren't getting anywhere close to the feeling of standing in front of the real thing. That gap mattered for a foundation built entirely around getting this work the recognition it deserves.
Struggling to Keep Up With a Growing Collection
As the Souls Grown Deep team added more artists and works over time, managing the site became harder. Without the right platform underneath it, adding new pages, galleries, and artist profiles risked becoming a bottleneck instead of something the Foundation could do confidently.
Image Quality Wasn't Holding Up
Anyone who's tried to put beautiful, high-resolution images online knows the tradeoff: gorgeous photos or fast load times, rarely both. For a collection this significant, "pick one" wasn't good enough. Every piece needed to load quickly and still look exactly the way it should.
No Staff Member Dedicated to Technical Upkeep
Like many nonprofits, Souls Grown Deep didn't have a web developer on staff. That meant updates, security patches, and technical upkeep fell behind. They needed a partner who'd do the job correctly and actually stick around, not a freelancer who'd disappear after launch.
HOW WE WORKED
Our Process
Starting With the Art, Not the Template
Before we touched any design or code, we spent time understanding what Souls Grown Deep was actually trying to do: give overlooked artists their rightful place in art history. That’s why we approached the website build by asking what would actually do justice to the artwork, rather than starting from a standard nonprofit site pattern.
Choosing the Right Platform for High-Res Imagery
We built the original site in Drupal, chosen specifically because it could handle high-resolution imagery and grow alongside the collection, not just look good on launch day.
Balancing Beauty With Accessibility
Throughout the process, we made sure visual polish never came at the cost of accessibility or usability for all visitors. That meant thinking about contrast, navigation, and structure from the start, rather than patching these elements in after the fact.
Refining Visual Quality Over Time
This was never meant to be a one-and-done project. Since that first launch, we've stayed on as an ongoing partner. As the collection grew, we continued refining image processing and display standards to keep every piece looking its best.
Audit & Prioritization
We identified and prioritized key improvements across the front-end and back-end of the Drupal website, including module needs, code improvements, UX issues, and upgrade considerations.
Execution of Priorities
Get key improvements for the websites live, including fixing UI/UX issues, refining design elements, and etc.
Research & Testing
We investigated module upgrade paths, researched solutions for non-compatible upgrades, reviewed custom integrations, and completed extensive testing at each phase of the Drupal 10 upgrade process.
Ongoing Strategy
We implemented a structured monthly maintenance cycle to support proactive upkeep, ongoing security, website stability, and continuous improvements.
WHAT WE DID
Creating a Stunning and Functional Digital Gallery to Match the Art Inside It
Gave Every Piece of Art Room to Breathe
We designed distinctive artist pages and gallery layouts in Drupal, so each piece could stand on its own instead of getting lost in a cookie-cutter template.
Made High-Resolution Images Actually Work Online
We refined how images are processed and displayed across the site, so visitors get the full visual impact of each piece without sacrificing page speed.
Upgraded the Platform to Drupal 10
We migrated the site from Drupal 9 to 10, keeping it secure, up to date, and ready to support the collection for years to come.
Made the Collection More Accessible
We built in accessibility best practices so more visitors, regardless of ability, can actually experience the collection, not just look at a page.
Opened the Door to New Opportunities for Artists
We integrated the site with Image Lab’s Print Shop, linking directly from artist pages and creating new exposure and revenue opportunities for the people whose work the Foundation exists to celebrate.
Project Outcomes
Almost a decade later, Souls Grown Deep’s website is exactly what it needed to be from the start: a digital gallery that treats the art with the same care and intention as the artists themselves. It never launched once and got left alone. It’s grown, piece by piece, right alongside the Foundation’s mission.
Our Results
- A website that finally reflects the significance of the collection
- Consistently strong image quality across a growing catalogue of artwork
- A more accessible experience for visitors of every ability
- New exposure and revenue opportunities for featured artists
- A stable, secure platform that's kept pace with the Foundation for almost ten years
Your Organization's Story Deserves to Be Told Right
Not every website exists to sell something. Some exist to preserve a story, protect a legacy, or make sure the right people finally get seen. Whatever your organization’s mission, your website deserves the proper care and ongoing attention we were able to provide Souls Grown Deep.
We understand that running a nonprofit means doing a lot with limited time, budget, and staff. The last thing your website should do is add to that list. It should make your work easier to share, easier to manage, and easier for the people you serve to actually find.
For over 18 years, we’ve helped nonprofit organizations build and maintain websites that support their mission rather than getting in the way. If your team could use a partner who sticks around for the long run, we’d love to talk.