The Stark Museum of Art invites the public to experience "The Color Orange," an immersive exhibition exploring the history, meaning and impact of a single color. This vibrant exhibition will be on view April 11 through October 3, 2026. Drawing from the Museum’s permanent collection, "The Color Orange" spans works from the 1500s to the 2000s and explores how artists across time have used orange to capture nature, create vivid imagery and evoke emotion.

Through a dynamic range of artworks and interpretation, "The Color Orange" examines the evolving significance of this bold hue. Visitors are encouraged to deepen their connection through interactive, hands-on activities designed for all ages, inviting them to consider a central question: How does orange make you feel?

"This exhibition invites visitors to engage with the color orange through a series of immersive, hands-on experiences that go beyond traditional viewing. From opening our Pantone-inspired doors to witnessing the glow of orange paint under blacklight, each interactive reveals a new dimension of how we see and interpret color," said Ashley Thornton, exhibitions manager at the Stark Museum of Art. "Visitors can uncover hidden images through colored filters, view artworks through a color vision–deficient lens and experience natural dyes and pigments. By blending art, science and sensory exploration, this exhibition creates a participatory environment where guests don’t just observe, but actively explore the imagery, nature and emotion of the color orange."

Complementing the exhibition is "A Touch of Orange," a special installation featuring decorative arts and artifacts once owned by Miriam and William Stark in their Queen Anne-style home, The W.H. Stark House. This display highlights objects unified by vibrant shades of orange, including Staffordshire ceramics, Waterford crystal and East Asian works of art. Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to view selections of Stark family jewelry on display for the first time in nearly 15 years. Together, these pieces tell the story of the Stark family in Orange, a community as vibrant as the color it is named for. "A Touch of Orange" is on view March 4 through December 23, 2026, in Hallway 3 at the Stark Museum of Art.