For a limited time, hand painted and signed acrylic paintings on Plexiglas commemorating Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind can be special ordered from our Gallery and Store. “Hand painted” is to be taken quite literally too. Pamela paints these original paintings with her hands wearing surgical gloves.
We are so excited. ArtPrize Eight visitors voted Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind into the Top 25 Time-Based! Thousands have interacted with our anti-bullying entry Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
100,000 ribbons have been tied onto the artwork to illustrate solidarity in the movement to eliminate bullying. By tying an orange ribbon onto the mesh canvas, visitors agree to live by the Golden Rule: “Do onto others, as you would have them do unto you.” Here’s how Jeff Veley, bullying prevention expert of Love Changes It All, puts it: “Treat everyone like a friend, especially your enemies.”
Thank you to the thousands of ArtPrize visitors for helping us to successfully complete our eight years of ArtPrize. It has been an amazing journey. I would like to acknowledge and thank over fifty volunteers—plus the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. You did a fabulous job serving the ArtPrize guests and showing compassion.
A special thank you to my dear friend, Kathy Pluymert, for her faithful support as volunteer coordinator for the last few years of ArtPrize. I couldn’t have expanded the size and scope of my work without her. I would also like to thank my new friend and creative project manager, Marijo Heemstra. She has been an amazing asset and has helped work through several challenges in creating Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind. Metal artisan Steve Umstead did a fabulous job crafting the metal works portion of my installation. Plus I want to thank my team of Grand Valley State University and Cornerstone University interns and a team of carpenters who stepped in at the last minute to help with installing the work at the Ford Museum.
A huge thank you to the Ford Presidential Museum for hosting my work for another year. We also are grateful for all those who shared about their courageous journeys through bullying (#ColorMeKind). And, lastly, for the last couple of months, Josh Stewart followed us around with his video camera and put together a great film representing my work and healing message.
Coloring with Kindness
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
September 21 to October 9, 2016
Voted Top 25 in Time-Based
(Located outside on the museum plaza)
Tell Us Your Story. #ColorMeKind
The first half of this video features Pamela Alderman and Girl Scout volunteers talking about Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind during an interview with WOTV’s Maranda and the impact the installation had at ArtPrize and on the Girl Scouts themselves as they handed out orange ribbons to the public.
When I was playing outside, a girl told me to do a backbend. I said, “No!”
But she said, “Do it now.”
I kept saying “No.”
Finally, I said, “If you stop bullying me, I will do a backbend.” Then she stopped so I did a backbend.
A special thank you to the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore for providing the stories. For reasons of security, names have been changed.
Bullying and Stress Management…
Coloring with Kindness
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
September 21 to October 9, 2016
Vote 62626
(Located outside on the museum plaza)
Tell Us Your Story. #ColorMeKind
One day I got bullied on the bus, and I stuck up for myself. My friend was scared of a fourth grader. So I said, “Stop it now.” He stopped.
A special thank you to the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore for providing the stories. For reasons of security, names have been changed.
Coloring with Kindness
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
September 21 to October 9, 2016
Vote 62626
(Located outside on the museum plaza)
Tell Us Your Story. #ColorMeKind
Because of Tracy’s physical defect, the other middle school students would taunt: “Don’t go near her. She’s got some sort of disease. Stay away or you’ll get it too.” The shunning pained her.
A couple of years later during high school, Tracy noticed Rick, another student sitting on the bus by himself. So Tracy asked Rick if she could sit next to him. The next day she sat next to him again. Soon Tracy and Rick sat together every day.
Ten months later, Rick finally confided, “The day I met you, I was going to clear out my locker and end it all with suicide. But when you sat next to me, I changed my mind. You gave me hope.”
Tracy had no idea that Rick was struggling. But because of her own difficulties in middle school, Tracy had learned to be kind and focus on others. In doing this, she saved Rick’s life. The power of kindness rewrote his life.
For reasons of security, names have been changed.
Coloring with Kindness
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
September 21 to October 9, 2016
Vote 62626
(Located outside on the museum plaza)
Tell Us Your Story. #ColorMeKind