The therapeutic merits of colouring books have been a hot topic of discussion this year, but we haven’t quite felt tempted to partake until the release of RxArt’s annual fine art edition this week. Created in partnership with Coach, the colouring book features a cover and stickers by John Baldessari and works by 52 other contemporary artists printed in black and white and waiting to be filled in by adults and children alike.
Now in its fifth year, RxArt’s colouring book series fulfills its mission of helping children heal by way of the visual arts. This year’s edition features the recognisable imagery of Rita Ackermann, Olaf Breuning, Subodh Gupta, Keith Haring and Angel Otero, just to name a few.
‘The coloring book is one of my favorite projects,’ says RxArt President, Diane Brown. ‘At least 90% of the books we publish are donated to children in our partner hospitals. The books help hospitalized children, their siblings and parents take their minds off illness and focus on something creative and fun.’
Although primarily created as gifts to pediatric wards throughout the US, ‘Between the Lines: A Colouring Book Contemporary Visual Artists, Volume 5’ is available to buy from select retailers, galleries and museum shops, bookstores around the world and on RxArt’s website.
– Pei-ru Keh