We’re excited to share a new animated video detailing our first 30 years, going from ArtWorks to 1001 Colors!
Rather than telling the story in a traditional way, this piece approaches it through animation, using a single visual world to trace the evolution of an idea that has grown far beyond its starting point. It’s reflective, a little surreal, and rooted in the creative energy that has always defined this work.
The animation was created by Jason Snell, a former teaching artist and Grammy nominated Art Director. His perspective brings something distinct to the piece, a blend of craft and personal history that knows the organization from the inside out.
The visual concept is based on an original sketch by Joe Walsh, an artist and former apprentice. His drawing became the foundation for the entire film, shaping its movement, composition, and tone. That original work will be on view at the 1001 Colors headquarters, connecting the finished animation back to its starting point.
There’s something fitting about that, a former apprentice’s idea becoming the basis for a film animated by a former teaching artist. It’s a quiet reflection of how this organization has always worked, building forward through people.
This moment felt worth marking and this piece gives space to something harder to quantify, how a creative idea takes root, grows, and changes a place over time.
It also arrives as we step into a new chapter as 1001 Colors, carrying that history forward with a renewed focus on artists, young people, and the role creativity plays in shaping communities.
Take a few minutes to watch, it’s a different way into the story.