Cover art by Ross Trimmer
In 1969, Chuck Scalin, a professor at then Richmond Professional Institute, now Virginia Commonwealth University, found himself in need of a project. With Richmond lacking as much entertainment as it does in its present day, Chuck wanted a way to constructively channel his creativity. With co-producer Jeri Helfgott, and the help of thirteen other faculty members and two of their wives a unique coloring book was created. 100 copies of the coloring book were published and sold at the VCU bookstore for $3 each. Chuck forgot about the book until he stumbled across a copy years later on Ebay, which sold for $750.
This motivated Chuck Scalin to produce a second edition dedicated in part to Jeri Helfgott, his original collaborator. Chuck, with assistance from Matt Lively, enlisted the help of eleven of the original fifteen artists for the second edition. He also recruited up-and-coming Richmond artists for a total of thirty featured artists in the coloring book. With art, love and collaboration inspiring the book, it was only fitting that the coloring book’s beneficiary held similar values.
Marlene Paul, the executive director at the non-profit ART 180, is responsible for the partnership between the Artists Coloring Book and ART180. ART180 provides art-related programs for young people ages 8-18 living in challenging circumstances. The program encourages personal and community change through self-expression. The group is based in Richmond, Virginia. Sales of the book, original artwork, and limited edition prints will benefit ART 180. The coloring book and prints are available for purchase at ART180.
Worth Higgins & Associates donated the printing of the Artists Coloring Book. The perfect bound book was printed digitally on an hp Indigo 5600, in-house using an acid free archival stock. Limited edition prints of the illustrations in the book were also printed on an acid free archival stock.
The Artists Coloring Book Launch Event and Exhibition will take place September 5, 2014 from 6-9pm during First Fridays at ART180. The exhibit will continue through October 31 at ART180.
For more information visit http://www.art180.org/
