DIY
Make Your Own Masterpieces With Hundreds of Free Coloring Pages From Museums
Keep calm and color on.
We’re all on the lookout for soothing ways to de-stress and pass the time while we wait out the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis cooped up in our homes. If you’re someone who particularly loves the calming effect of adult coloring books, but find yourself running out of blank pages faster than your stash of quarantine snacks, don’t worry! There are hundreds of museums, libraries, universities, galleries, and more who are offering black and white versions of their masterpieces — totally free of charge!
This might sound like something these organizations teamed up to do in order to specifically help with all our social distancing lately, but the Color Our Collections program from the New York Academy of Medicine Library has actually been around since 2016.
Each year, the library has shared over 100 new printable coloring page collections during the first week of February. Notable participants include historical artwork from the Smithsonian and the New York Public Library, plus some fun pop culture finds like images from Harley-Davidson’s 1920s archives and vintage advertisements from the West Virginia and Regional History Center.
That’s just a small sample of the more than 500 institutions that have added to the collection of pages over the years. You can sift through the options by year or browse all of the institutions to find one that sparks your artistic interest. Whichever way you go, we’re sure you’ll find something incredible to print off and make your own.
This can also be a fun way for any kids in your house to add art history lessons to their at-home learning. Sure, you could find other free coloring pages floating around the internet, but you’ll definitely find more educational options with this amazing collection.
Now all you have to worry about is whether or not to invest in frames for each masterpiece your family produces! (Or at least a few extra fridge magnets to put them on display.)
