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Every budding artist will feel included with Crayola’s new multi-cultural art supplies. The company has developed the “Colors of the World” collection to underline the importance of diversity and inclusion in youth art.
The art supplies magnate has launched such efforts before; in 1992, an 8-pack of skin tone colors were released. However, Crayola is now ready and willing to cultivate the intricate colors that make up the complexions of our world. You may jump to the conclusion that this diversity collection is a virtue signal — yet, that is definitely not the case. Crayola announced its launch of Colors of the World on May 21, days before George Floyd died and protests began.
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Victor Casale, Crayola collaborator and co-founder/CEO of MOB Beauty, jumped at the opportunity to work on this collection. Casale was also the Chief Chemist at MAC Cosmetics, so he knows what he’s talking about!
“I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it’s like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match. They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling,” Casale said.
The new crayon box will have 24 different crayons, all created to reflect different skin tones (much like Casale’s makeup is!). The colors were systematically created, going from light to dark. That seemingly-simple order is complicated by including the varying undertones a color could have. This would include rose, almond, and golden colored undertones. Crayola also put these colors under intense consumer testing and reviews, to ensure that all skin colors were represented well in this box.
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“With the world growing more diverse than ever before, Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance. We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves,” said Crayola CEO Rich Wuerthele in a press release.
The box of 24, however, is measly compared to the box of 32 sold exclusively at Walmart. The larger box includes hair and eye colors, which will only complete the youth artist experience. These crayons will launch in July 2020, with colored pencils soon to follow in spring 2021.
To make crayons even easier to use, there is a color reference chart on every box! Buy some for your kids today!
