Color Collective Art and Travel

01/03/2021

February in the United States is dedicated to celebrating Black History. Before the month was out I wanted to highlight two artists who through their work center stories of black history, futures, and present.

These twins, Jarrett and Jonathan, may look similar but their work and styles stand alone. Both however, were listed on Forbes top 30 under 30. This comes as no surprise when looking through their impressive bodies of work that span across multiple disciplines and mediums.

I am lucky enough to call Jarrett a friend IRL so I can say this sincerely, my favorite thing about these two is their love and support of each other and their community.

Just check out Codify Art a multidisciplinary collective supporting QTPOC artists. Codify not only offers mutual aid but is dedicated to creating space and new dialogues that adequately serve the stories of marginalized groups.

This type of love is powerful and infectious and was a major inspiration for me to start Color Collective.

They are definitely two artists to follow now! .key

You can also support their mission at Codify Art by donating today!

10/12/2020

Still shopping? Consider supporting a local artist and budding fashionista by purchasing her tie-dye socks and masks! Great for stocking stuffers or request a custom color design for that special sneaker head in your life.

If you are in the mood to splurge, this artist also offers custom apparel and painting commissions. December 15th deadline for Christmas orders.

DM to place order or for more information!

09/12/2020

Artist are small businesses! This year consider supporting an artist by purchasing original work or gifts inspired by their work. Victor Rosario's imagination comes to life on canvass or home decor for under $25!
Check out and follow the link to purchase!

16/11/2020

November is Native American Heritage month! We are back at  examining Tiepolo’s Apollo and the Continents to discuss the depiction of the Americas in the imagination of 18th century Europeans and its lasting effect on art and travel today.

As we mentioned before the 18th century was the start of what we now consider leisure travel today. Grand tours, travel logs, and cabinets of curiosities holding souvenirs (and sometimes people) from faraway lands all helped to build the travel imagination of Europe.

Imagination is the key word here because even though a substantial and growing amount of knowledge existed about other lands the story being told to Europeans was one of fantasy and supremacy, much like the allegorical representation of Tiepolo’s fresco depicting Europe as Apollo and the rest of the world as its playground.

This description in the photo was taken from web gallery of art specifically to highlight how little has changed in the representation of Native Americans since the 1750’s. The enduring myth of discovery and the subsequent erasure of an existing civilization to benefit the narrative of colonial settlers as Apollo, bringing knowledge to this “New World” is what has allowed centuries of violence to continue even into the present day.

To this day many believe that the “riches and fertility” of this land existed by accident and not because of the knowledge and relationship the indigenous populations had with the land.

So, as we prepare to give thanks this month in the United States,  I ask you to do some research on the land you live on and who it belongs to. Consider then if this is truly a legacy you are grateful for or if it is one you want to change? 

16/11/2020

Want to learn more about Color Collective Art and Travel? Tune in Wednesday to IG live where we will discuss nano-tourism and upcoming creative competitions!

16/07/2020

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30/06/2020

Le sigh.

29/06/2020

Color Collective was created to help under represented emerging talent start their careers and travel the world. We aim to also combat global racism by educating travelers and patrons of the art while attending underground events.

While we seek to create a new art world outside of these institutions we also support those who are trying bring change within them. Please stand in solidarity with black and brown artists calling for change in the art world. Use your voice, sign the letters, share and support black artists!

03/06/2020

30/05/2020

As we end the month dedicated to Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage we return to Asia as depicted by Tiepolo to discuss how continents, tourist destinations and people become defined in the global imagination.

During the 18th century "Chinoiserie" was all the rage. This painted an image of China as a paradise of luxury and leisure and it was spread wide and far due to a quintessential Rococó medium, porcelain.

Much like Tiepolo's depiction of Asia, porcelain depictions of China were a mash up of symbols, ideas and straight up fantasy designed by artists who most likely had never traveled there but fed the demand of a market who wanted to buy into a fad of collecting the exotic.

These images went from commissioned frescos, to porcelain collectibles, to prints, to post cards to text books and came out the other end as the truth. Why? How?

One, because in the past much like the present the depiction of a place will be altered to fit the ideals of the audience demanding to consume it.

Two, because the idea of a place was more important than it's reality, because other places and people were for fun not for real.

I challenge you all to look at current travel marketing materials and see for yourself how the tourist gaze endures.

How do you think this effects our interactions with each other on a global scale? As nations, travelers, and artists?

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For more HISTORY in art and travel

30/05/2020

As the month comes to an end Color Collective would like to say again happy Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month!

Today we celebrate Dena Nguyen and her art work that focuses on representation of minorities in America.

Recently she has taken to her Instagram to engage with her audience in a series of "unmasked" portraits of people of color.

This type of engagement is wonderful to see because as an artist she is using her platform to help people be heard and to give space for necessary conversations that we are having collectively as a nation.

Check out her page, support her work and join the conversation.

29/05/2020

Where we marching?
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⁣You must take ACTION to be an activist.
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27/05/2020

Color Collective Art and Travel is radically anti; racist, sexist, classist, and homophobic. This means we do the work of constantly "becoming" educated and supportive members of the community instead of just performing it online.
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⁣These posts are a "vibe" test. If you can't have these conversations then you are not willing to do the work and you can't party with us!
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27/05/2020

Often we hear phrases on the global stage that trigger us because we spent our lives hearing it be said in coded terms.
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⁣Maybe it was your friends or co-workers who went on vacation and suddenly became an expert on socioeconomic inequality in a country where they don't know the language or even the fact that your family still lives there. *Gasp* and they survive off the resorts!
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⁣What ever the case, the hypocritical criticism of these countries is often justified because we defined them as "third world" or "developing" and we are not expected to ever consider the historical implications in the creation of that status and our present role in maintaining them as such.
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⁣It happened so long ago! We are just tourist. These two are not connected. Right?
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⁣We are in a special circumstance today where we can change the face of tourism and it's negative impact on local populations like never before.
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⁣Through education, socially conscious consumption and by having difficult conversations we can accomplish so much more than a dull world view and a hashtag.
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⁣Color Collective does NOT have all the answers but we do have a lot of questions. Help us and join the conversation!
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⁣What is something you heard about your own country by a tourist who vacationed there? How did these comments make you feel?

25/05/2020

Happy Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month!

Last post I asked what you thought about when you heard the word Asia? Ena Ganguly's article linked in our bio touches upon the narrow definition of Asia held by most Americans despite it's large and geographically diverse community.

Pointing not only to the origins of this celebration rooted in American value standards through a colonial mindset but also in the myth of Asian inclusion in the collective identity of our country highlights the problematic nature of how we view Asia.

Ganguly suggests several ways to celebrate this month but most importantly asks us to think about who decides what we celebrate and why?

Color Collective believes it's important to celebrate culture but to also have deeper conversations about why and how we do.

Just as Ganguly states "As QPOC, we must celebrate one another, but learn how to do so in positive and healthy ways, which is directly antithetical to America, a country that often programs us to believe that we must earn our respect, our humanity, our basic necessities, rather than acknowledging our basic rights and humanity from the beginning."

Why do you travel to certain countries and not others? Who is influencing your view of the world and what motivations may they have that you are unaware of?

Share your thoughts and help us build a new more mindful way to travel and see the world!

23/05/2020

The four continents was a popular theme in the 18th century and before as the world through the eyes of Europe opened up for exploration and consumption both in the tangible and imaginative sense.

These people were starved for content and what better could artists serve up if not an actual living lion itself? An image of course!

Influenced by earlier travel logs and stories about the world, artists mapped the globe with a set of recognizable symbols that represented the other and the exotic. So by looking at an animal in a painting one could know where in the world the scene was taking place.

Here we have Rippa's Iconologia a great example of the body of work from the century before that contributed to the building and endurance of this symbolic global imagination.

Although artist and their audience knew that certain animals were from a certain continent they actually had no idea what that animal really looked like! Thus, resulting in a array of hilarious animal depictions from the era (not just big cats) which are available for our viewing pleasure here.

Going back to Tiepolo's fresco of Asia we see a few animals depicted, including an elephant. We do not however see the long held image of Asia for centuries before which was the Camel. This instead is placed in Africa. Why?

Was Tiepolo's fresco of Asia hinting to the imagination of Europe at the time changing? Was it due to new discoveries and updated information? Or was it tied more to patterns of consumption, resources and socio-economic shifts throughout the whole of Asia and it's relation to the European leisure class just looking for a good time?

Makes one think who decides what Asia "looks" like in our world stage/gaze/ imagination today? What are the predominante images that come to mind when you hear Asia and why?

23/05/2020

May is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. Today we celebrate Oliva "fiyabomb" Be'Nguyen a Vietnamese American Pop artist based in Connecticut.
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⁣After receiving acknowledgement from Big Sean, Rick Ross, Swizz Beatz, 50 cent, Spike Lee and countless more, I thought this artist would be too cool to talk to me nevermind work with me but after getting to know her I was truly inspired by her chill and welcoming attitude to all both on and offline.
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⁣Every encounter Oliva has with her public is meaningful, honest, and so refreshing in this ever more curated online world we all play in.
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⁣She is very vocal about issues that impact not only women artists of color but of the art industry in general. We like her believe in taking critical stances against abusive practices in the art world and hope to build a better future for all artists by following her example.
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⁣Noted as the female Bob Ross, Fiyabomb Ross Boss, began holding FREE online art classes during the quarantine on Instagram live and true to the name the classes are just as enjoyable to watch without painting due to her calm voice, smiley enthusiasm and consistent reminder to drink water!
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⁣If you are looking for an artist to follow she is the ONE. Her body of work, artistic philosophy and commitment to others is something guaranteed to light up your timeline and your day.
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⁣follow: and to learn about other artists worth following.
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23/05/2020

Happy cat-erday! Today I will be posting some fun insights into the "Joe Exotica" craze of 18th century Europe. A generation obsessed with collecting the "exotic" (a term we plan to unpack in later posts) in tangible or imaginative renderings.
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⁣George Stubbs best known for his horse portraits of the time takes a stab at several Asian animals during this period. By examining the use of animals in Asia's depiction in art we can see the common view of this continent if not only distorted is at least comical.
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⁣What images do you immediately think of when you hear the word Asia? What countries do you first associate with this continent and why might that be?
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⁣Do you know of any outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander American artists we should know about? Tag and send information so we can continue to support artists and learn more about their work!
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⁣For more art and travel history follow
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22/05/2020

May is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month!
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⁣Using Tiepolo's, Apollo and the Continents as a spring board we will discuss the depiction of Asia from the Rococo period and the idea of Chineseourise and it's lasting effect on art and tourism.
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⁣We will also celebrate current Asian and Pacific Islander artists and the cultural importance of their contribution in our collective identity as Americans both at home and in our travels.
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⁣Do you know any outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander artists? Share links and information so we can continue to support our fellow artists and learn more about their work!

22/05/2020

Color Collective as an art and travel company is taking a critical look back to the 18th century, often noted as the period in time that sparked the travel imagination of an era through Rococó art, to discuss why and how we travel today.
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⁣Challenged with a world that continued to expand and uncover other realities 18th century artists, tourists, and ruling classes all hungered for the discovery of the "other" to consume, creating an unprecedented mobile and modern leisure class.
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⁣An example of this new imaginative mapping of the world is Tiepolo's fresco in the Wüzburg palace. Titled Apollo and the Continents, we see the world not only through a touristic gaze but that of an empire placing itself as the supreme knowledge bringer to the world.
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⁣These themes enduring into art, education and politics today still naturally manifest themselves in our tourist destinations and practices and are considered standard for the industry at large.
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⁣Color Collective, however, is committed to changing the art and tourism industry by creating both jobs with dignity and mindful cross-cultural interactions for the new "leisure" class.
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⁣Today more than ever we must be committed to ethical forms of travel and tourism and to understating our global community and our impact on others.
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⁣We will travel again and we will do it better than ever before. Join us to learn more about how we can change the world! ⁣
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22/02/2020

One year ago this month I began to learn Russian so I could read Chekhov. I did 10 mintues a day in a book and downloaded again because it really helped me learn Chinese.

For those who think that learning a language is so hard or too much work let me tell you, I am the laziest and most absent minded person alive and I did it. It took me a year to finish a"30 day program" but it worked after just 3 days of using it.

More importantly because I went to Russia on a manic 30 something whim, I have Russian friends and a lover who constantly push me to keep studying and learning.

If you want to learn a language be open to falling in love with it. It's never going to be perfect or easy but with hard work, a little fun and romance, and moments of fidelity you will see your world open up into a globally symbotic conspiracy of love.

I started because I want to help others see the world this way.

Imagine if the entire world learned a language of love?

If you want to try something new, hit me up. Running some amazing life changing tours in 2020 :)

@ Color Collective Art and Travel

20/02/2020

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and attended Color Collective Art and Travel's fundraiser for AS220!

We had a great night of art, patchwork and prizes!

Most importantly we discussed the future of AS220 and international art and travel.

We are ready to change the world and to take you along on the journey!

@ Color Collective Art and Travel

09/02/2020

09/02/2020

“Make the colors dance, shine to please the admirer's hungry for joy and strong emotions.”

“Staying in motion, creative and productive is the message of my work.“

“Every artwork is like a birthday cake, and every admirer is like a family member.”

-Luvensky M.D Valmont

09/02/2020

"I base my art on archaeological artifacts, megaliths, ancient mythic stories and recorded anonmalies that point to the existence of life as we do not know it.

Staying open and receptive while building off of my extensive research is key to the development of my work, as my subjects are from times long forgotten but still within us and all around us.

We must be fearless in the search for truth no matter how crazy it may seem at the time, because time is an illusion and the truth is timeless.”

-Victor Rosario

09/02/2020

"As an artist I am inspired by my heritage, music and melancholia, a trinity of my identity and artistic process.

My paintings are a synthesis of depression and melancholia, religion and ethnicity, it is a loud message to humanity that all negative feelings and emotions can and should be used.

I believe that in our time such messages are necessary for society, and I strive to solve the problems of social phobia and outsiders through art."

-Arsen Kurbanov