ArtWorks rechristens as 1001 Colors, embraces growth opportunities

Since it first announced its presence in 1996 by pitching a tent near SCPA’s former Pendleton campus, ArtWorks has built a laudable, enduring legacy as a leader in the Greater Cincinnati arts scene. For the past 20 years, the organization has spearheaded the production with scores of super-sized murals that adorn walls across the region. It’s also been an innovator in providing arts-education opportunities for aspiring school-age artists.

After moving into its stately new digs at 2429 Gilbert Ave. last spring, ArtWorks embraced the expansion of its mission with the goal of making regional, even national, impact. It had not escaped the organization’s notice that ArtWorks has become a common arts-organization moniker nationwide.

“There have been donors who have accidentally contributed to another ArtWorks organization,” Colleen Houston, its CEO and creative director, noted.

The organization was inspired by a slogan used by Bolce Paint Co., their space’s former occupant: “1000 and 1 Colors.” Tipping its cap to their home base’s legacy and their goal to grow their mission, effective June 1, the organization became known as 1001 Colors. Houston noted that its new appellation is important because it’s “distinct, memorable, and represents a palette of color and potential that’s accessible to every artist and student and provides a compelling visual identity and represents our flexibility and commitment to collaboration.”

Plans for how to leverage the organization’s rebrand are continually evolving, but Houston noted that 1001 Colors’ growth to employing artists year-round is a significant indicator of its growth, and that she would welcome opportunities to broaden artists’ horizons such as exchanges with other regional and national arts organizations.

The new name was announced during the organization’s 30^th anniversary ArtDinner, which gathered more than 300 of the Queen City’s leaders. Concurrently, 1001 Colors also unveiled its new website, www.1001colors.org, and unveiled its latest round of summer mural projects, which will employ more than 100 students age 14-21 for mural and film projects across the city. The organization also revealed this year’s roster of grand-format public art, which includes adorning an exterior wall at Cincinnati Public Radio’s new Evanston facility, as well as a mural in homage to the Tuskegee Airmen as part of the America 250 celebration (identical renderings will bedeck Cleveland and Toledo buildings).

Since 1001 Colors’ inception, the organization has produced more than 400 murals across Greater Cincinnati, completed more than 14,000 creative projects, and hired more than 8,000 young artists.

Several artists and city leaders with ties to 1001 Colors lauded the organization:

• Trey Small, a former 1001 Colors youth apprentice and current professional artist: “It wasn’t just about art. It was about being part of a community of artists across the board that I was learning so much from. Without 1001 Colors, my life would look a lot different.”
• Roxanne Qualls, former Cincinnati mayor and 1001 Colors co-founder: “Without [1001 Colors], Cincinnati would be a little less than what it is in terms of public art, how people feel about their community, and the ability of young people to find pathways into the arts.”
• Mark Mallory, former Cincinnati mayor: “The murals in Cincinnati are a visual representation of the creativity of this area. That visual impact is something that will never go away.”