In a landscape where puzzles often showcase the same old imagery, Puzzles of Color is shaking things up – one piece at a time. This family-owned business based in Richardson, run by siblings Ericka and William, was founded out of a shared passion for puzzles and a commitment to increasing diversity in artistic representation. They’ve revolutionized the industry by offering 300-, 500-, and 1,000-piece puzzles that feature the vibrant art of Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Indian artists. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ericka to dive deeper into the origins of Puzzles of Color and the impact they aim to achieve both locally in Richardson and on a broader scale nationwide  

Puzzles of Color
Siblings, Ericka Chambers and William Jones of “Puzzles of Color” pose with boxes of their puzzles and finished framed puzzles in a storage area of their building.

What is the backstory of Puzzles of Color?  

Puzzles of Color was founded in my garage in 2020, driven by a desire to bring more diversity to the puzzle industry. As a family, we’ve enjoyed puzzles since childhood, but we often noticed a lack of imagery that resonated with our own experiences. That’s when we decided to collaborate with artists of color, aiming to offer people vibrant, culturally rich imagery in their puzzles.  

What is special about your puzzles?  

We wanted to solve the issue of diversity in puzzles while giving people imagery that is worth framing. Our customers get to study beautiful works of art and become the artist themselves as they recreate those images piece by piece. In selecting our art, we have a guiding light of imagery that authentically celebrates a full range of expression for people of color. How do you go about curating collections and finding artists? We find artists through a variety of ways including social media, submissions, and in person networking. Our collections often come together through a common thread of what we are selecting at the time.  

What impact do you hope to make on Richardson’s arts and culture?  

We want to share all of the artists we work with with the community and give people the opportunity to appreciate their work on a deeper level by studying each stroke piece by piece.  

Where can we find you?  

Contact: www.puzzlesofcolor.com or @PuzzlesofColor on Instagram, FB, TikTok, Twitter, and Threads.