About
Colored Colors is led by founder and CEO José Tutiven
An Ecuadorian-born, self-taught painter, José began showing work in his early twenties and kept running into the same wall: there was no room for artists like him. So he built one.
His mission hasn’t changed: foster unity through curated experiences that generate real socioeconomic impact.
The company
Colored Colors began as a platform for artists, creatives, and musicians to show their work. It became something larger — a producer of public arts programming that business improvement districts, municipalities, and national brands rely on to reach communities credibly.
Our approach has always been non-traditional: we treat artists as businesses. We pay them, we place them, we help them grow. That’s not charity — it’s why the programming works. Artists who are invested in show up differently, and audiences can tell.
Mission
To connect creatives and their communities — through programs, partnerships, and inclusive spaces that build careers for artists and give something back to the places they serve.
Vision
Vibrant communities, ignited by modern arts programming and the voices of independent artists — with wider access to the arts, and new places where they thrive.
How we work
Colored Colors is founder-led and project-staffed. José directs every engagement personally, and we assemble production, design, and technical teams from a trusted network of independent professionals — scaled to the scope of the work.
It’s how we deliver a one-day market and a three-season festival calendar with the same standard of care. And it means our clients pay for the team a project needs rather than the overhead of one it doesn’t.
Collaborators
We work regularly with local small businesses and independent creative studios, alongside a roster of independent designers, photographers, stage managers, and production crew built over years.
The Founder
Built the hard way
José spent eight years in Long Island’s entertainment and hospitality sector before Colored Colors existed, learning what the island had and what it was missing. As a self-taught painter showing his own work, he kept hitting the same wall: there was no room for artists like him. The underground showcases he started running were the first answer.
In 2019 a friend pushed him to pitch those showcases as a real business. He did, with a sketched logo and a hastily made deck. Seven years later the company he built produces festivals in a Manhattan park, co-produces a public art exhibition across three Long Island towns and the largest arts week the Town of Huntington has seen — and he sits at the head of the board of the county’s oldest arts council.
“By placing arts and culture at the forefront, we connect communities.”
José Tutiven
Roles and recognition
- President, Board of Directors, Huntington Arts Council
- Co-Chair, Arts & Experiences Committee, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce
- Co-founder, Long Island Public Arts Festival, with BACCA
- 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month Honoree, Suffolk County Office of Minority Affairs & Hispanic Advisory Board
- 30 Under 30 Young Professional Honoree 2020, Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce
- Creatives Rebuild New York, Artist Employment Program, 2024
- Panelist, Suffolk County Men’s Leadership Conference (LILTA)
A note from José
This company was founded on values often overlooked in the business world. For years, I was doubted because of my firm belief that arts and culture can transform our communities. But the arts are absolutely a positive force. We’re living proof that placing artistry at the forefront of business can create both buzz and tangible change.
José Tutiven · Founder + CEO
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