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what is COLORS?
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COLORS' mission is to improve the lives, choices and opportunities available to at-risk youth by providing safe and creative places to be during the critical after-school hours, thereby producing successful, productive members of our community. We do this within a professional studio environment where young talent is developed by giving them the tools to experience the positive power of their own creativity.
COLORS Inner-City Youth Art Studio is an outreach program of the Spartanburg Art Museum, which gives at-risk youth ages 6–18, the opportunity to experience high-quality art instruction in a safe environment during the critical after-school hours, FREE of charge*. We use professional-grade materials and professional artists as instructors. COLORS gives students a vehicle to express themselves in a healthy manner with caring adults at their side. They are also taught the importance of taking care of their studio space, using supplies with care and working well with others.
Students create art using:
COLORS participants have the opportunity to:
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murals |
Painting murals builds self-esteem for the COLORS students by allowing them to share their talent with the community. The COLORS program has painted several murals for the Spartanburg community:
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exhibitions
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Artwork from the COLORS program is exhibited throughout the community several times during year. The students have had shows at Windows on Main Street, Hub Bub Showroom, Spartanburg Regional Medical Center's Rainer Gallery, the University of South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg City Hall, and at the Spartanburg Art Museum. |
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successes
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Our biggest success story is about a young man named Michael Smith who started drawing in the program when he was 9 years old at the housing projects where his aunt lived. In 1998, his only brother, who was also an artist, was murdered in a drive-by shooting. Mike used his art to overcome to the pain he went through. Michael has stated, “I probably would have never started drawing if I hadn’t gone to COLORS.” Now 20 years old, he has won the Congressional Art Award which exhibited the winning artwork at the White House for a year (this piece has since been purchased by the Spartanburg Art Museum for its Permanent Collection), served as an instructor for COLORS, and is currently attending the Art Institute in Atlanta for Graphic Design. |
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logo design contest
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In March, COLORS announced its intent to do a program rebranding and launched the Logo Design Contest. All 7th -12th graders in public and private schools across Spartanburg County were eligible to submit entries. Olivia Skellie, a 9th grader from Landrum High School, was announced the winner of the Logo Design Contest for COLORS at a reception held Thursday, May 1st at 5:30 at the Spartanburg Art Museum. Ms. Skellie was awarded $200 for her winning logo design, which was modified and converted into a digital format for the COLORS program to use on all print and digital marketing media. |
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| support | COLORS
is a program of the Spartanburg Art Museum, (SAM) a private,
non-profit 501(c)(3)organziation specializing in the visual arts. If you would like to make a contribution to the COLORS program, you may call the SAM Office at (864) 582-7616 or click here to print out a slip that may be mailed in with your contribution. |
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| recognition | In addition to a number of newspaper articles, the program has been recognized in Time Magazine and was featured by FOX network on the national morning program, FOX After Breakfast. | |||
The COLORS program is dedicated to the memory of Thomas Marion Parham (1949-2005) who served as Assistant Director of COLORS from its opening day in June 1993, then as Director of COLORS from 1998 through 2005. "Mr. Thomas" will never be forgotten by his family, friends, students, staff, and Board of The Spartanburg Art Museum. |
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