Did you know that only 9.8% of Art Teachers in the US are BLACK. This realization birthed Stapledon Arts. Our mission is to inspire Black & Brown Communities through Art Education.

To provide greater access and make our mission tangible we created Melanin Series!. Melanin Series is a set of acrylic paints, made with people of color in mind, featuring 12 inclusive skin tone colors.

With the push for Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education now is the perfect time to bridge this representational gap. Forming identity is important for children, creating self-portraits gives them agency in this process. Melanin Series ensures more BIack and Brown students see themselves, if not in their Art Teachers, at least in the materials they use.