Connect with us

Books

Vilcek Foundation and Pen + Brush Release Free Coloring Book of Dynamic Contemporary Artists

Harry Johal

Published

on

Vilcek Foundation and Pen + Brush Release Free Coloring Book of Dynamic Contemporary Artists


“This Is Who We Are: Color the Artists of Pen + Brush Gallery,” the latest collaboration from the Vilcek Foundation and Pen + Brush, is available as a free download on Vilcek.org

The Vilcek Foundation has partnered with Pen + Brush to develop a digital coloring book featuring 25 works by 15 leading artists who work with the gallery. This Is Who We Are: Color the Artists of Pen + Brush Gallery highlights the many ways in which contemporary artists are exploring themes of gender, immigration, economics, and the natural world. The coloring book is available as a free .pdf download from the Vilcek Foundation. 

Works in the digital coloring book are reproduced in full color and also interpreted as line drawings by illustrator Paula Kinsel, along with short artist biographies on each of the creators. The book is intended to build visibility and awareness of the included artists while encouraging readers and users to delight in the diversity of artists and artwork championed by Pen + Brush. 

The book’s title was inspired by a group exhibition shown at Pen + Brush in 2021, titled This Is Who We Are, which shifted models of traditional exhibitions by enabling the curators and artists to rotate in and add works to the exhibition as works on view sold. Launched as the United States emerged from the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition was a commitment to the values of Pen + Brush: to uplift, promote, and find meaningful financial support for artists. Says Dawn Delikat, executive director of Pen + Brush, “It is a statement of empowerment intended to honor their individuality and each of their artistic voices, while bringing them together through the common ground of the Pen + Brush.”

“This coloring book and its collection of selected artists and work salutes what we do here at Pen + Brush,” says Bird Piccininni, Gallery Manager and Associate Curator at Pen + Brush. “Paula Kinsel’s line drawings of the original works capture the unwavering strength, identity, and confidence of the artists we work with globally and intergenerationally. These artists empower themselves, their subject, and their audience. It’s a unique and extraordinary combination of whimsy and activism.”

“These artists empower themselves, their subject, and their audience. It’s a unique and extraordinary combination of whimsy and activism.” – Bird Piccininni, Pen + Brush

This Is Who We Are: Color the Artists of Pen + Brush Gallery is the second coloring book collaboration between the Vilcek Foundation, Kinsel, and Pen + Brush. In 2020, the foundation published Be a Good Ancestor: The Michela Martello Coloring Book, highlighting works by Pen + Brush artist Michela Martello (born in Italy). 

Established in 1894, Pen + Brush is a publicly supported not-for-profit fighting for gender equity in the arts. Pen + Brush provides a platform to showcase the work of women, non-binary, and female-identified transgender artists and writers to a broader audience with the ultimate goal of affecting real change within the marketplace. 

Learn more and download a free copy of the coloring book at Vilcek Foundation: This Is Who We Are: Color the Artists of Pen + Brush Gallery

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple’s respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $7 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $6 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org

Source: The Vilcek Foundation



Press Update For Studio CarryOnHarry

Find Holiday Deals Flights Attractions and Hotels !

Get Interviewed

Trulli

For Interviews At Studio CarryOnHarry Online Submission Form Click Here


Booking.com

👁 58 Views
Powered by SgAiSolution
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Books

Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost

H Johal

Published

on

By

Author Releases Novel About First Responder’s Life After 9/11 at No Cost

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Author Erin Strong is offering her novel "She Never Left Ground Zero: A Novel of Courage, Love, and the Hidden Cost of 9/11" as a free download through September 30, according to the announcement. No registration, email address, purchase, subscription, or review is required, and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The novel is fiction but draws on the real experience of an NYPD officer, per the announcement. It centers on Sofia Vega, an NYPD officer whose work amid the smoke and debris in the aftermath leads to lasting consequences she and her family must face. Strong has said she wanted to write about what happened to first responders and their families after press coverage of the attacks faded — a theme that echoes a broader body of anniversary-year 9/11 literature, including nonfiction essay collections and survivor accounts published or reissued around the same milestone.

According to Strong, "I wanted to tell a deeply personal story about what happened after the television cameras moved on." "Many first responders and their families continued living with the consequences of September 11 for years. This novel honors their courage, their sacrifices, and the people who loved them through it all."

The free download is available at sheneverleftgroundzero.com. The book will also remain for sale on Amazon and other retailers after the promotional window closes. Strong’s team can be reached through the same website or by phone.

Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective

At Studio CarryOnHarry, we see Strong’s September timing as a textbook example of anniversary marketing strategy. Major commemorative dates like the 25th anniversary of 9/11 generate enormous search volume and media attention—precisely when potential readers are already thinking about the subject matter. By anchoring a free promotion to this peak-interest window, authors capture visibility they’d need to spend significantly on advertising to achieve otherwise. The counterintuitive logic: giving away the book for free during high-traffic periods can actually drive more long-term sales than traditional paid campaigns, because it builds audience reach, generates word-of-mouth momentum, and establishes the title in readers’ minds before the promotional window closes. When the book returns to paid status in October, those who downloaded it free become natural candidates for follow-up engagement—reviews, recommendations, and future purchases. It’s a calculated play on consumer psychology and search behavior that extends the book’s commercial lifespan well beyond September.

Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.

Press Releases at Studio CarryOnHarry

👁 39 Views
Powered by SgAiSolution
Continue Reading

Books

New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger

H Johal

Published

on

By

New Fantasy Novel Explores Orphan’s Journey Through Magic and Danger

Balle Balle Radio™ Entertainment Desk

Author C. A. Ballard has released a debut fantasy novel, "The Lost Legacy," following a young orphan protagonist drawn into a battle against a malevolent force seeking to strip the world of its magical power, according to the publisher’s announcement.

The book comes from Newman Springs Publishing, a New Jersey-based author-services publisher that works with writers across genres to produce and distribute their books; the company is handling both publication and promotion for the title. The novel is available in stores and through major digital retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Google Play and Barnes & Noble.

According to the publisher, Zara must safeguard her sibling while partnering with an ensemble of fantastical beings including fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings to combat darkness — against an antagonist seeking to strip the world of its magic.

Ballard, described in the release as a wife, mother and grandmother with a background in accounting and medical billing, said medical challenges led her to pursue creative endeavors. "I wanted to craft deeply engaging stories about everyday individuals finding remarkable capabilities within themselves," Ballard said in a statement. "Zara’s story is about finding your tribe, embracing your power, and refusing to surrender to darkness." The publisher’s announcement notes additional projects from Ballard are already in development.

There is no independent review coverage of "The Lost Legacy" available yet; retail listings confirm the book’s publication details but do not offer critical assessment. Readers interested in the book can find purchase links through the publisher’s website or major retailers.

Studio CarryOnHarry Perspective

At Studio CarryOnHarry, we recognize that Ballard’s ensemble approach—layering fae warriors, mythical creatures, and magical beings alongside a resourceful orphan protagonist—speaks directly to a defining shift in contemporary fantasy publishing. Today’s YA and new-adult readers expect worldbuilding that extends beyond a single chosen one; they crave diverse supernatural allies and complex team dynamics that reflect both traditional mythology and modern storytelling sensibilities. Zara’s "finding your tribe" arc taps into this broader cultural moment where belonging and chosen family rival the hero’s individual journey. As the fantasy market continues to reward narratives emphasizing collective strength over solitary heroism, Ballard’s decision to populate her world with multiple fantastical perspectives positions "The Lost Legacy" within reader expectations that have reshaped the genre over the past five years. This matters because debut authors who understand—and authentically execute—these ensemble-driven narratives are better positioned to build engaged readerships from launch.

Read more People’s Choice stories on Studio CarryOnHarry. Reporting via Live News Vault.

Press Releases at Studio CarryOnHarry

👁 49 Views
Powered by SgAiSolution
Continue Reading

Trending Now

Advertiment

Recent

trending