The Escalette Collection is pleased to announce the opening of Chromatopia, a student-curated exhibition in the Henley Galleria (2nd Floor) in Argyros Forum. Chromatopia was curated by students in Dr. Amy Buono’s Chromophobia–Chromophilia class, an art history seminar held in Spring 2026 that examined the cross-cultural lives of color in our global world, both as a source of societal fear and as an object of passion. The students worked closely with the Escalette Collection to select works from the permanent collection, research and write the accompanying didactics, and develop thematic connections among the artworks. As Dr. Buono describes, this project allowed students to apply class concepts in new ways:
“In our class curatorial project, Chromatopia, students thought about color and its histories in a more active, hands-on way than traditional research papers would have allowed… Students not only explored intellectual, social and aesthetic ideas around their chosen artworks, but also learned important curatorial skills… More importantly, as an experiential project, the Chromatopia exhibition allowed the students to work together on a hands-on, collaborative project with the dedicated museum professionals in the Escalette Collection.”
To learn more about the curatorial process, read a reflection by Shae Ruby, one of the student curators, on her reflection blog.
Chromatopia
Chromatopia brings together some of the earliest works to enter the Collection and recent acquisitions to explore something that impacts every aspect of our lives, yet can easily be taken for granted: color. Color shapes the construction of our world while also being a deeply personal experience. The exhibition explores color through four themes.
“Color and the Everyday” focuses on the colors that shape our urban lives, from branding and architecture to the signs, advertisements, and other visual elements that make up our everyday landscape. “Color and Memory” investigates the ways color is closely tied to memory, serving as a touchstone for personal and shared memories of places and people. “Color and the Sacred” connects color to ideas of the infinite, exploring the sense of awe and wonder that color can inspire across different cultures. Finally, “Color and Perception” brings together artworks that play with and challenge what it means to literally perceive color. These works remind us that color is never fixed, but constantly fluctuates under different conditions.
We invite you to visit Chromatopia in Argyros Forum and discover the many ways color shapes how we see, remember, and experience the world around us.
We invite you to explore all the works in the Escalette Collection by visiting our eMuseum.
Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is the proud home of the Phyllis and Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art. The Escalette Collection exists to inspire critical thinking, foster interdisciplinary discovery, and strengthen bonds with the community. Beyond its role in curating art in public spaces, the Escalette is a learning laboratory that offers diverse opportunities for student and engagement and research, and involvement with the wider community. The collection is free and open to the public to view.
