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• John Seed and Gabrielle Selz present "Sam Francis and Color"

  • When
    13 May 2025
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    virtual

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  Sam Francis and Color

  Sam Francis (1923-1994) was an internationally acclaimed Abstract Expressionist who spoke of color as “a kind of holy substance” and a “receptacle of a feeling.” In this webinar art historian John Seed and Francis’s biographer Gabrielle Selz will explore the artist’s fascination with color and the varied effects and meanings he generated with it over the span of his career. They will also describe his collaborations with Daniel Cytron, a studio assistant who for three decades manufactured custom acrylic color dispersions and printing inks to Francis’s specifications. 
  
  Speaker bios:
  
  John Seed is professor emeritus of art and art history at Mount San Jacinto College in Southern California. Seed has written about art and artists for publications including The Huffington Post, Arts of Asia, and Hyperallergic, and is the author of Disrupted Realism: Paintings for a Distracted World. For over a decade Seed has also served as a board member for the Los Angeles based Sam Francis Foundation. 
  
  Gabrielle Selz is an art historian, fine art appraiser, and award-winning author. Her most recent book was the first comprehensive biography of Sam Francis, Light on Fire: the Art and Life of Sam Francis, which was awarded the Silver Medal for Best Nonfiction by the California Book Awards 2021. Her previous book, Unstill Life: Art and Love in the Age of Abstraction, received the best memoir of the year award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and was listed as one of the best books of 2014 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Her essays have appeared in The New Yorker, More Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beat, Literary Hub, Berkeleyside and Newsday among others. Her art criticism has appeared in Art Forum, Hyperallergic and Art Papers.

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• Colour Literacy Forum #12 Beyond Hue: Reframing Colour for a Multidimensional World

  • When
    17 May 2025
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    Virtual

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  The Colour Literacy Forum is an international, collaborative effort to align university-level colour education with current design needs in the culture. The goal of the Forum is to connect faculty, students, and administrators with interdisciplinary professionals to provide cutting-edge research, curricula, tools, and resources.

  The Colour Literacy Forum is a virtual platform featuring presentations and interactive conversations focused on updating and expanding 21st century colour education at the university level. The goal of this global collaboration is to develop an interdisciplinary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) model that positions colour as a Meta-discipline and aligns colour education with current needs in the culture, providing cutting-edge resources, and offering dynamic networking opportunities for all stakeholders.

  Register using the button at left. For complete details visit Colour Literacy Project.

  2025 Series: Facts and Myths About Color

  Beyond Hue: Reframing Colour for a Multidimensional World

  Saturday May 17, 2025, 11am ET
  

  Talk 1: The age of [colour] reason: How seeing “beyond hue” helps designers think about colour design

  The colour design problem my research and method seek to address is the absence of a rational method for making colour selections for design projects. Beginning with the assumption that design is both a rational and an intuitive process we will explore why the traditional hue-based colour psychology (Hue Paradigm) makes it virtually impossible for designers to use reason when assembling colour palettes. We will look at the roots of the Hue Paradigm and then compare the thought processes of researchers and designers, which may clarify why colour findings often have limited application in design practice.

  Fortunately, recent research suggesting that there are additional meanings associated with a colour’s value (lightness) and chroma (i.e., pale, dark, vivid and muted colours) is grounded by a psychological theory that does lend itself to a systematic and rational approach. We will review this research, and consider an evolutionary theory for why the meanings of pale, dark, vivid and muted colours appear to be intuitive and widespread. Finally, the Colour Character Compass will be introduced as a tool to support rational thought about colour design.

  The Speaker: Ellen Divers

  Ellen Divers is an Independent Design Theorist and Researcher whose focus is the development of an evidence-based thought process to help colour professionals interpret and use colour meaningfully in their work. An undergraduate degree in Psychology, an M.Ed., a minor in Studio Art, and a B.S. in Interior Design inform her approach to both reviewing and conducting research, as well as how to incorporate it into the design process. Born in the United States and raised in Argentina, Ellen’s perspective on colour (and life in general) was shaped by navigating between cultures -- an experience that taught her to look beneath the surface of things for common threads
  and universal connections. In recent years Ellen has presented at multiple conferences and published articles on this subject. She has served on the Board of the Inter-Society Color Council and the IACC-NA (International Association of Color Consultants and Designers of North America). The Divers|Method for colour design is currently being piloted with design students and she has plans to eventually make a course available to a broader audience of design professionals. Website: www.ellendiversdesign.com

  Talk 2: ...Beyond Hue: Identity and cultural heritage in the case of Oregon colours

  Amidst the ongoing societal reconstruction, our research focuses on establishing ‘spaces of identification’ for an environment that reflects and respects the Pacific Northwest heritage and its culture for shared ethnicities and backgrounds. The project is dedicated to unveiling the practical benefits of colour’s role and its transformative potential. By understanding and leveraging the power of our colour heritage and how it relates to our cultural identity, we aim to foster a more supportive environment. Student projects involve researching and presenting the influence of colour and its interaction with natural environments. Context, objects, and circumstances are observed through the lens of colour, creating insights and understanding that allow
  us to study the identity of colour beyond the first glance. Our heritage
  is immortal and anchored in us. This understanding can lead to practical applications such as designing spaces conducive to promoting our traditions. These benefits are theoretical possibilities and solutions that can pave the way for a healthier future for all, instilling confidence in our approach. This research is multidisciplinary, with national and international collaborators significantly contributing to its success. This international connection underscores our work’s global relevance and impact, making you part of a more significant movement in cultural studies and environmental design.

  The Speaker: Esther Hagenlocher

  Esther Hagenlocher is an Associate Professor. As the Head of the Interior Architecture Department at the University of Oregon, she holds a joint position in the Interior Architecture Department and the Architecture Department. She has designed and executed residential projects and designs for international exhibition projects. Hagenlocher’s research concerns the perception and performance of spaces, particularly regarding colour, light, material, and colour reflectivity in daylit spaces. Her current project is a scholarly exploration of Fritz Seitz’s artistic work (1926-2017), including preserving his works and research focusing on colour. Her affiliations include the AIC and DFZ (Curatorium Colour and Architecture); for more than eleven years, a collaboration between the University of Oregon and RAL COLOURS Germany on colour education, and colour workshops that underscore the international nature of colour and the global community it connects with.

  
  

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• May Colorful Connections

  • When
    20 May 2025
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
  • Location
    virtual
  • Spaces left
    22
  • Registered
    18 registrants

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  Colorful Connections is an opportunity to gather informally with other members of ISCC for a little socializing, networking and learning from each other. Discussions are wide-ranging and depend on attendees, their current interests and past experience. Consider this the online version of coffee breaks and happy hours at a color conference. BYO coffee or beverage and join in the conversation! 

  Note that this is Members Only event. Not a member, no problem - Join here!

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• Color Impact 2025: Color as Communication

  • Start
    16 Jun 2025
  •  
    8:30 AM
  • End
    18 Jun 2025
  •  
    5:30 PM
  • Location
    Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA
  • Registered
    52 registrants

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  Join us at Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, NY, on June 16-18, 2025. We have full days planned for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, including formal presentations, panels, receptions, and maybe even a few surprises!

  Prior to the conference, will offer a full day of workshops on Sunday June 15. Workshop participants as well as anyone who wishes to arrive a day early can also reserve a dorm room for the night of Saturday June 14.

  Registration fees and costs for optional events are available now. Registration will open on March 21, International Colour Day. Here are details about accommodations.

  If you are already a Color Council Member, be sure to sign in before you register to receive the Member Discount. If you are new to ISCC or not yet a member, join now and save $75 on your conference registration.

  We look forward to seeing you in June!

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• ISCC Webinar: Mary Caswell Stoddard Presents "Inside the Colorful World of Birds"

  • When
    08 Jul 2025
  •  
    2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
  • Location
    virtual

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  Inside the Colorful World of Birds

  Birds evolved about 150 million years ago, and today they are the most diverse and colorful land vertebrates. In my group, we are fascinated by the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive this variation. Much of our work investigates coloration and color vision birds. A fundamental challenge is that birds see differently from humans: they have tetrachromatic vision (four color cone-types) and ultraviolet sensitivity. To estimate a “bird’s-eye view,” we combine advanced imaging techniques with new computational methods. This has allowed us to test ideas about how birds use color to attract mates, avoid predators and deceive rivals. We also study the mechanisms of color production—involving pigments and structural color (like iridescence)—a pursuit that has led to some surprising discoveries. In the field, we are establishing a system for studying color perception in wild hummingbirds in the Rocky Mountains. These tiny iridescent birds lead colorful lives, performing spectacular courtship dives and pollinating diverse wildflowers. Overall, we apply an interdisciplinary approach, combining tools from mathematics, computer vision and optics, to explore the avian world.

  Speaker bio:

  Mary Caswell Stoddard (Cassie) is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. Stoddard received her undergraduate degree from Yale University. On a Marshall Scholarship, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge before joining the Harvard Society of Fellows as a Junior Fellow. Stoddard is a research affiliate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. She is a 2018 Packard Science and Engineering Fellow and a 2023 Schmidt Sciences Polymath Fellow. 
  

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