The Stamford Art Association has presented the Faber Birren Color Award Exhibit at its Townhouse Gallery, 39 Franklin Street, Stamford CT since 1980. The exhibit honors Faber Birren, world renowned color theorist and former Stamford, CT resident. He wrote extensively on color and published 40 books and over 250 articles on the subject. His color theory work was used by the Nave and the Walt Disney Company. This competition is the only artistic event devoted exclusively to the use of color. The jurors for this exhibit are usually chosen from major NYC museums and organizations such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, and Southeby's.

Faber Birren, one of the most prominent scholars in the field of the theory of color, spent most of his career studying the influence of color on art, the workplace, and human psychology. His work, which was donated to Yale University’s Art and Architecture Library, is now referred to as Birren color theory.

In 1934 he established his own company and worked as an industrial color consultant, advising clients on the psychological effects of color on safety, employee morale, productivity and sales. His recommendations included changing wall and interior colors to reduce visual fatigue, and using bright colors on machinery to reduce accidents. DuPont, Monsanto, and General Electric were among his clients as well as the military.

The Faber Birren Color Award Exhibit pulls in artists internationally and is held for 6+ weeks annually. 40 artists are selected by the juror and their work is displayed at the Townhouse Gallery and online. Cash awards are funded by his family and family and friends to honor Diane Etienne Faxon, who helped create the exhibit. Accepted artists will be listed here the week of September 30, 2023.

Joseph Henry ia a Ph.D. Candidate in the art history program at the CUNY Graduate Center and a Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Joseph Henry

For my philosophy and in the act of selecting which was a real pleasure to do this year, I wanted to look at how artists were not just using colors that came with their materials, but really making an argument or proposition, or seeking a new kind of vision with those colors. I also looked for artists who were trying to thematize what color actually does in an image or artwork.

If you are interested in viewing the COLOR SHOW GALLERY exhibit or purchasing a piece of art,

The Stamford Art Association is pleased to annouce the accepted 2023 artists and award winners for the 43rd Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show.