SUMMER 2021


K-12 teaching and possibly district art administration. Winthrop opened it up to much more, spanning to leadership in arts beyond the school setting.”


Winthrop helped him become a better person, both professionally and personally, he added.


“The program changed the way I think and how I show up as an arts professional,” he said.


James Wells ’11 has been drawing ever since he can remember.


Now, he works for one of the biggest art companies in the world: Crayola.


As a child, at his mother’s encouragement, he explored his artistic talents and pursued opportunities to advance his creativity. Attending an art-based high school sparked his interest in the profession of art education. One of his teachers recognized his gift of drawing and painting, but she also recognized something that no one else had: his gift of connecting with others. This simple, yet powerful, recognition made Wells realize that he was destined for a career in art.


He recalled how unclear and uncertain a career in the arts seemed at the time, but he knew it was what he was meant to do.


“I didn’t choose the arts, the arts chose me.”


Wells’ artistic talents and engaging personality landed him a full scholarship to the University of Memphis in his hometown, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in art education. After graduating he became an art educator in Shelby County Schools in North Carolina. Eventually he would relocate to Rock Hill and teach for the Clover School District while pursuing his master’s degree in art administration at Winthrop.


He credits Laura Gardner, director of Winthrop’s arts administration program at the time, for her help


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in cementing his career path. Their relationship paved the way for success within the program and developed into a life-long mentorship and friendship.


“Professor Gardner and the program changed the way I thought about my career path in the arts,” Wells said. “Before attending Winthrop, I saw art education as a linear path, which meant


And wow, does he show up!


After graduation he served as a district fine arts advi- sor for Shelby County Schools, helping to advocate for a budget line item of more than $200,000 in support of visual art education programs. The money went toward buying new art supplies for students and funding for teachers to pursue educational advancements, such as education-based organizational memberships.


“Funding allows and creates possibilities,” he said. “It is a domino effect for teachers and students.”


Throughout his career he also worked as an education program manager for York County’s Culture & Heritage Museums and as an arts education special projects coordinator for the Tennessee Arts Commission. He joined Crayola’s team in 2017.


As the innovative teaching and learning manager at Crayola, Wells helped activate the company’s newest crayon pack, “Colors of the World,” which offers a variety of skin tone shades to develop more inclusive crayon colors. The company worked with industry experts including Victor Casale, CEO and cofounder of MOB Beauty, to match color tones to skin tones. Crayola has received rave reviews and many awards since the launch of this product line including the PR


DRAWING HIS WAY TO CRAYOLA


Week Global Award Winner for Corporate and Social Responsibility.


As a contributor to Camp by Walmart, an online resource offered to children during the pandemic, Wells enjoyed the role of “camp counselor,” where he incorporated the new crayon pack to teach children about the gift of kindness while drawing self-portraits. Other “camp counselors” included celebrities Neil Patrick Harris, LeBron James, Drew Barrymore and more.


Wells encourages Winthrop students to “intentionally immerse themselves in the community around them, take what they have learned and bring it back to the community and build relationships with professors and classmates.”


“It is true that Winthrop Eagles will soar to great heights, but you never know where you might land or who you might land with, so it is important to always foster intentional relationships with others,” he said.


Wells now lives back in Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife and children, whom he calls his greatest accomplishments.


Wells drew a self-portrait using Crayola’s Colors of the World crayons.


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