Clifford McDonald was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, where he attended Booker High School. McDonald earned a bachelor degree in fine arts from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Today he is a painter and the founder of the nonprofit Art 4 Change, a nonprofit organization that creates positive social change through art, information, advocacy, and service. In 2016, after he started teaching art at Visible Men Academy in Bradenton, Florida, McDonald became inspired by his students and the idea of using the transformative power of the arts to make a difference in the world. His paintings today focus on culture, community, and positive social change. His goal is to use his gift to make a difference in the community by sending a message of love.

About the Exhibition

What a Colorful World is inspired by the song “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. The deeper meaning behind the song is about appreciating the beauty of our surroundings. In the song, Armstrong mentions trees of green, red roses, skies of blue, and all the colors of the rainbow. When listening to those lyrics, McDonald says he “thinks about diversity and how beautiful our differences make the world we live in.”

Most of McDonald’s work focuses on portraiture and capturing the innate beauty of people. The use of color is a passion for the artist, and people are an inspiration. Painting a portrait becomes a personal experience for the artist, and his work is a reflective expression of what he sees in people.

In 1967 the plan was to release “What a Wonderful World” to quell some of the racial and political tension in America. Like Louis Armstrong, many artists used their talent to effect change. Clifford McDonald has the same goal. What a Colorful World represents diversity through the use of color while it also celebrates individuals who have made an impact by using some form of art as a tool to create positive social change.