Colors of Cambodia is an incredible, yet largely unknown, resource available for young artists in the Kingdom. Driven by a belief that art can save the world, the program has nurtured and developed a new wave of creativity and artistic appreciation by providing unlimited, free access to arts materials and teachers, studios, workshops, and galleries allowing young creators to practice, visit, and learn. In addition to operating the Colors of Cambodia Art Schol and Gallery in Siem Reap, the organization also brings lessons and workshops to children in public schools throughout the province by means of an ambitious outreach and travel network throughout the country. Quarterly events showcasing local and regional artists serve as a focal point for the creative community there. The initiative was launched in 2003 by founder and local resident Bill Gentry, and we spoke to him about what its like running a non-profit organization such as his in a country that, within our lifetime, not only condemned and discredited artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers, but systematically executed them and destroyed their creative output. Notwithstanding the closure of the prison camps and the killing fields, what’s changed for Cambodian artists during the past forty-six years?
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your inspiration? How did you come up with the idea for Color for Cambodia, and why that, there?
There was never a plan for me to start an art school. I was educated in Fine Arts at Indiana University before moving to Singapore in the 90s for work. A few years later I visited a very primitive, rural school in Cambodia where I witnessed a miraculous amount of talent in the children; talent that I felt sure would never be properly developed. I asked the headmaster if I could come back and work with the kids with their drawing and painting and he said yes….and the 20+ year journey of Art Education began. To this day, whenever I visit a new school for our project I am always blown away – like I was on that first visit – by the inherent artistic talent in the Khmer people. It is definitely a natural skill for them…to draw, paint, carve, like one sees on the walls of the ancient temples.
After about 3 years of visiting more rural schools teaching art (5 to 6 trips a year) with a rickshaw driver as translator, it became clear to me that Siem Reap could be a good investment. We bought a small shop house in the heart of Siem Reap, very close to what would later become the famous Pub Street. I began teaching art there as well as still travelling to the rural schools whenever I could. We also started selling some of the students’ art, as much as one could. And it was with this background of related activities that we officially founded The Colors of Cambodia Gallery and Art school here. And on the top of the building, I painted the slogan “Art Will Save the World!”
What kind of resources do you offer?
I like to think that the biggest thing we provide to young creators is inspiration. We primarily teach kids of just about all ages drawing and painting, and for older more aspiring youth we offer advanced tailored tutoring. Our mission is to provide art education, art materials, and a safe space for young people to explore the art-making process. We opened in 2003 and the program is now run entirely by former students, many of whom have also gone on to become professional artists. Our historical emphasis has been and remains teaching drawing and painting, but our students now also explore music, performance, sculpture, and graphic arts. We also host lessons, contests, critiques, and workshops at public schools throughout the province. By now we’ve relocated our school gallery location just outside of downtown, by the river, and most of what we do takes place there. But we still manage to visit 6 to 7 other schools in the area daily. I’d estimate we’ve by now taught art, to some degree, to around 15,000 youngsters in Cambodia. Everything we offer– the instruction as well as the art supplies – is and has always been, offered completely free of charge!
The COC is a non-profit charity organization and funding in our past has come from my family business and also from sales of our advanced students’ and teachers’ art, from which artists receive 50% of the proceeds. At this point a fair amount of our needs are covered by me, personally, but we’re in the process of creating a Patrons group to help ensure future long-term project sustainability.
How did the art scene re-emerge itself in Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime? What’s the current degree of government support for creativity and the arts, and is there more that could be done?
I feel the art scene in Cambodia is still in its infancy. I can trace my first awareness of any organized artistic movement here back about 20 years ago when I first heard about the Phare Ponleu Selpak, which is a nonprofit arts and circus school located in Battambang, Cambodia that operates a Performing Arts School but also provides professional training in graphic design, animation, and the visual arts. At this point, the “scene”, as much as there is one, that I see is primarily a scattered group of individual artists, a dozen or so galleries, and a few groups of artists who promote their work together.
Regarding the government, as a foreigner living in Cambodia off and on for more than 20 years now, there’s no interest that I’ve seen, either at the local or national level, in supporting creativity or the arts. Anything would be better than nothing, but nobody is holding their breath waiting. For now, its more the non-governmental organizations who align with creative interests and the arts.
Well, what about the COC, specifically? Have the local or national governments taken notice of the work you’ve been doing in Cambodia, and if so, what has been their reaction?
Well, we’ve never needed or sought any financial support from either the regional or national authorities. But we’re encouraged that the local government recently commissioned us to create some murals in the local area; we’d be keen to do more of that. It’s gratifying to know that the local officials where we live have taken notice of us and view us positively.
What’s the level of IP awareness amongst artists and other creatives in Cambodia that you work with?
As for IP awareness in Cambodia, my observations are that it hardly exists; the only people who are aware of the concept are highly educated and well-traveled, which amounts to a tiny portion of the population. Cambodia is still a very poor country and has only recently prioritized education and I’m afraid intellectual property isn’t yet in their wheelhouse. The copyright law was finally updated in 2003 after years of preparation, but not enough artists or creatives seem to be familiar with it.
What kinds of opportunities are there in Cambodia to study a creative field as a career? Where can people go to develop or refine their talents?
Within Cambodia there aren’t just enough opportunities to study the creative arts. There are no formalized artistic curricula in any public schools here that I’m aware of, and for now the educational priority remains focused on other sectors like engineering, and information technology. And that’s unfortunate because we definitely we sense there’s by now a more sincere interest and appreciation amongst young people for creativity and the arts than there was 15 or 20 years ago. But the opportunities for them to learn more about it remain very limited. I mentioned the Phare School in Battambang, where several of our teachers received training, and we’ve had a student go on to receive a degree from the Royal Academy of the Arts in Phnom Penh. There are certainly more opportunities overseas, but that’s just not realistic for the vast majority of Cambodians.
What is considered a measure of success for an artist in Cambodia? Is it something like cracking the US market, or becoming popular in Korea? Or is it something else entirely?
For the most part, there’s really no concept of independent news reporting in Cambodia and the information provided by the authorities is heavily partisan and censored. This means that most young people in Siem Reap don’t have much of an awareness of life beyond their village. It wouldn’t be within our students’ imaginations to have their works exhibited in a gallery in New York City because most of them have no awareness that such an opportunity even exists. Too many of the young people we work with are too caught up in getting through their daily lives here rather than thinking or planning a future somewhere else. Success for a local artist here still by and large means selling a painting or a sculpture for what amounts to a lot of money in Cambodia (but not elsewhere), and then spending all of that money enjoying the moment.
What’s your outlook on the creative industries in Cambodia? Is there sufficient talent and/or an infrastructure for the creative sectors to thrive here? Can an artist/creative support themselves here? Are there viable career opportunities?
I’m convinced there’s sufficient talent! Ponleu Prom, who studied with us for five years before becoming a teacher, is just one example. He’s exhibited his works at shows in Phnom Penh and has sold several works to private collectors around the world. Another of our students went on to earn an undergraduate degree in Phnom Penh, married his girlfriend, went to work in the art department of an engineering firm, and now heads it up.
Last question: What’s been your biggest challenge, personally, in getting Colors of Cambodia up and running to the point that it is today?
Probably the biggest challenge is maneuvering through and communicating with the local culture and people. At a certain point I teach more life skills than art, to certain talented kids, who frequently come from broken homes. It’s one thing to randomly visit a country with noble intentions in mind, but to actually live amongst them and try to help there, and motivate them? Well, that’s a different story…