Color Outside The Lines

The Color Outside the Lines exhibition, from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation at PSU’s JSMA, inspired our work. Following the example of artists in the exhibition, we examined how color has been used to question institutions, beliefs, and expectations. Some of the artists featured celebrate and amplify colors intrinsic to their cultures, showcasing beauty that was once dismissed or rendered invisible.

In his book, Chromophobia (2000), artist and writer David Batchelor argues that color is often associated with groups that have traditionally faced discrimination within mainstream society, including women, people of color, and queer communities. The JSMA exhibition aims to explore whether such groups can reclaim color as a tool for challenging established norms.

College and middle school students engaged with color through various creative projects, including designed coloring pages, vibrant laser-cut keychains, illuminated shadow boxes, and narratives expressed through elaborate fabric banners. The term culminated in the college and middle school creating their own public exhibition.