By Charlecia Joy Cole, Founder of Stapledon Arts (Cohort 9)
Stapledon Arts founder Charlecia Joy Cole participating in the NiLu Makers Market promoting Melanin Series in July 2023. Visit NiLu Gift Shop, located in Harlem (191 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10026) to purchase your very own Melanin Series set.
Why Art Education?
I’m grateful for a mother who planted the seed of creativity at a young age and for a village of art educators who continued to nurture that seed. I had the honor of having three influential Black art teachers who changed my life. However, did you know that less than ten percent of art teachers in the US are Black? As a young artist, I started my journey working in many different creative fields, yet I saw this disproportion in representation over and over again. These realizations convicted me to orient my career towards increasing that representation: thus, I, too, became an art educator.
"I have created nothing really beautiful, really lasting, but if I can inspire one of these youngsters to develop the talent I know they possess, then my monument will be in their work." –Augusta Savage: Sculpture, Art Teacher, Art and Civil Rights Activist
From Art Education to Social Entrepreneurship
Being an art educator is my strength and it has helped me navigate entrepreneurship well. Why? Because artists are resourceful, innovative, translators of the world around us: they make meaningful messages with simple and complex ideas. Educators are able to engage various types of people who have different strengths, learning styles, and experiences through creating safe spaces, providing healthy challenges, and facilitating exploration. Art educators have the power to combine all these things and more: these tools are the foundation of great social entrepreneurship.
Solving for Representation with Stapledon Arts
Leveraging my experience and identifying needs from my exposure in the classroom, I noticed that students often had to spend more time mixing skin-tone paints than actually painting. This can serve as a deterrent to artists who don’t see themselves represented in the materials they use. So, I came up with a solution. In April 2021, I founded Stapledon Arts. We developed the Melanin Series, a set of acrylic paints with artists of color in mind featuring twelve inclusive skin tone colors. They enable young Black and Brown artists to see themselves represented in the paints they use, and encourage creativity with fewer barriers between aspiring artists and their art supplies. Our vision is that Black and Brown communities are empowered through seeing representation in the arts, having access to quality art education, and receiving support in activating their creative skills to impact the world around them. The Melanin Series is one step in this journey.
“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.” –Mary McLeod Bethune: Educator, Philanthropist, and Civil Rights Activist.
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