A coloring book iteration of the Weisman Art Museum by Elise Armani.

On Friday, April 15th from 12:00pm – 6:00pm the WAM Collective will be participating in World Art Day at Northrop! This event is an awesome opportunity for us to get to know the campus community and showcase our team’s artistic talents with our new hand-made coloring books. Work by artists Elise Armani, Laurel Darling, Lexi Herman, Katie Covey, Iris Page, Tara Sullivan, Lindsey Budde are included.

The coloring books are designed and hand-crafted by WAM Collective members using a single signature string binding. The line drawings inside, all drawn by WAM Collective members, are inspired by the museum’s architecture and collection, as well as our current theme of “Mindfulness.” Spending time filling in coloring books is an awesome tool for relieving stress. WAM Collective is making mental health a priority this year because of growing concerns on the University of Minnesota campus.

We look forward to seeing you at World Art Day on April 15th! Coloring books will also be available at TEDxUMN’s “Reawaken” on April 29th.

A special page from the WAM Collective coloring book by Lindsey Budde.

For those who can’t attend, download the PDF  follow these instructions to create your own coloring book.

How to assemble your coloring book:
1. Print out the pdf file and select the double sided option. There should only be four pages.
2. Fold each page in half separately and press firmly on the crease. This will ensure that fold is the smallest it can possibly be and therefore fit into the other pages with the greatest ease.
3. Using an awl or a needle puncture two holes along the creases of the pages, preferably equidistant from the bottom/top edge of the paper.
4. Lastly, using a needle, pull some string through the first hole. I would recommend starting on the inside and pulling it to the outside so that the finished knot is on the inside. Afterwards, bring the string through the next hole and tie it. Two knots will be sufficient.