Meet Primary Colours

Primary Colours comprises artists and art aficionados who are committed to promoting quality art events that showcase emerging artists and develop audiences. Read on to find out more about us.

The Board

Shannan Spence – President

An interior designer by day, Shannan loves the way PC events bring together artists, non-artists, creative minds and independent spirits. She cites the encouragement of community connectivity and the desire to support friends as original inspiration for her service on the board. She first came to the organization in 2005 as Volunteer Coordinator for Allotropy, later served as Treasurer, and was elected President in 2010. To date, her most moving encounter with art came during a 2009 honeymoon to Paris.

Jim Clinger – Vice President

Having worked in advertising and design for years, Jim joined the PC board in 2002 after founders Jeff and Fred asked for his help in designing the 2001 Allotropy and TOYS posters. He brought with him the creative energy behind much of PC’s branding, and also the concept for Art vs. Art, the first incarnation of which he says was probably the most exhilarating art experience of his life. Recalling days in Indy when art options were few and the crowd seemed exclusive, Jim says PC recognizes that art is for everyone and connects the two in a way that isn’t being done elsewhere. He currently serves as Creative Director at The Momentum Group.

Jenny Skehan – Treasurer

Joining the board in 2009 after seeing a call for volunteers, Jenny cites her experience at Art vs. Art and PC’s reputation as her main reasons for getting involved. As a CPA and employee of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, she felt PC represented the sort of creative and energetic organization she wanted to be a part of. Jenny was once inspired by the size and variety of the collection at the Art Institute in Chicago and likes the fact that PC’s work makes Indianapolis a more culturally interesting place to live… not to mention more beautiful.

Natalie Ingle – Secretary

Having written a cover story for NUVO on the organization’s subversive approach to art in 2006, Natalie became a volunteer, then joined the Events Committee, and was invited onto the PC board in 2009. An amateur photographer, she appreciates what the organization does to elevate new voices and styles. Her own house is decorated with over a dozen pieces by local artists, and she recalls commissioning a clock made out of found materials as the first time she ever imagined herself a patron of the arts. Natalie holds a degree in Creative Writing and is finishing her Masters in Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University while working at the Center on Philanthropy.

Brian Myers – Board Member

After participating in several Allotropy shows, a TOYS show, and two Art vs. Art events, Brian made good on a personal commitment to help create engaging art experiences in Indianapolis and joined the Primary Colours board in 2006. He says his first Art vs. Art blew him away, and he realized PC was striving for new and creative ways to connect with the local art community. A homegrown artist himself, Brian holds a BFA from Indy’s Herron School of Art and Design and was a 2005 Efroymson Contemporary Art Fellow.

Renee Harness – Board Member

Renee cites Primary Colours’ ability to create memorable, personal experiences with art—like one she had in Florence with a talented tour guide and Michaelangelo’s masterpieces—as her reason for joining the board in 2010. She believes events like PC’s help connect the public with what is otherwise a very intimidating world. A Human Resources and Organizational & Leadership Development professional, Renee also serves as an agent for two artists and curates a home collection of her own.

Jennifer Hughes – Board Member

Jennifer joined the board of Primary Colours in 2010 after serving on its Events Committee for a year and seeing first-hand the organization’s commitment to celebrating local art and culture. She was thrilled to watch a chainsaw rip through a painting at her first Art vs. Art because she understood the humor of the act and the demonstration of the temporality of art and life existing together. Professionally, Jennifer owns local design firm, Cleis Design, and acts as Adjunct Professor of Visual Communications and Fine Arts at Ivy Tech.

Dane Sauer – Former President

Dane, a sculpture graduate of Herron School of Art, joined PC in 2000 after participating in the organization’s first Allotropy. Integrating metal-work into both his art and his profession, he says he was inspired by the “Crossroads” exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art which featured five Hoosier sculptors who left lasting impressions on the art world. Pointing out that art creates dialogue and dialogue feeds creativity, Dane feels PC’s most important work is in perpetuating dialogue about the importance of art both locally and socially. He served as President from 2008 until 2010.

The Staff

Hugh Vandivier – Executive Director

Though an artist of words (he holds degrees in English from Wabash College and Journalism from Northwestern University), Hugh was a patron of the visual arts before being asked to join PC in 2005 as a grant proposal writer. In 2009, when it came time to hire PC’s first Executive Director, Hugh got the job. Impressed by an immersive Olafur Eliasson piece called “Take Your Time,” Hugh was eager for PC’s own Installation Nation 2009, especially engaging the non-gallery crowd in exciting new interactive art. One of PC’s most important jobs, he says, is encouraging artists to go beyond the “my art speaks for itself” mentality and actively promote themselves.

Primary Colours Art | Action