Crayola wants to reunite adults with their childhood artwork
Crayola crayons, a staple of childhood creativity, symbolize the artistic journeys that Crayola is now helping adults revisit through their Campaign for Creativity initiative. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Crayola, a brand synonymous with childhood creativity, is embarking on a heartwarming journey to reconnect adults with the artwork they created as children. The initiative is part of Crayola's new Campaign for Creativity, which aims to highlight the lasting impact of childhood creativity and encourage parents to foster creative experiences for their children.
Decades ago, Crayola began collecting artwork from children across the United States, amassing one of the country's largest collections of children's art.
This vibrant collection, a testament to youthful imagination and expression, is being dusted off and shared once again. Crayola is reaching out to reunite these pieces with their original creators, offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Community involvement in reuniting artwork
Crayola is calling on the public to help reunite 50 additional pieces of childhood artwork with their original creators this year. To achieve this, Crayola is sharing images of the artwork on its social media channels, inviting the community to join in the effort.
"Does anyone know Paul from Victoria’s Saint Michaels University School? Or do you know his detergent-sample-giving dino?? We need help returning it to him!" Crayola wrote in one of its posts seeking an artist.
Followers can visit Crayola’s social media pages, such as Instagram, where the company has posted photos of children's artwork in hopes of reuniting these pieces with their now-adult creators.
"This is the first wave of art being returned in what Crayola hopes to be the ultimate return of all 1,000 pieces of art remaining in its archives from what was once one of the largest collections of children's artworks in the world," the company wrote in a press release.
In anticipation of the UN's World Creativity and Innovation Day, Crayola is launching a series of short films titled "Stay Creative," hoping to accompany their initiative.
These films feature the stories of three adults who, as children, participated in Crayola's art programs. The films will capture their emotional reunions with their childhood artwork and explore how these early creative experiences have shaped their lives.
"These films capture just a few of the stories we've encountered that bring to life the enduring value of childhood creativity. They also illustrate the pivotal role parents have in helping their children develop lifelong creative mindsets essential for whatever path they take in life," said Victoria Lozano, EVP Marketing at Crayola. "Through the Campaign for Creativity, Crayola not only hopes to encourage and help facilitate this dialogue, but also assist in providing the right creative resources and inspiration parents need to help all children reach their full potential."