Most of our collection items were made before personal computers or Internet were a thing. This alone is a good reason to celebrate the fact that our website received 30k unique visitors from several countries, who left well over 600k hits in 2024.
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We do our best to expand the conversation about the preservation of children’s expression, regardless if it is artistically motivated or otherwise. We welcome volunteers, donors, and items contributors.
At the beginning of 2024, CDIC reached out to the McMaster University’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE), requesting support in researching some of the hypothetical factors related to the decision to contribute (or not) to CDIC’s collection. In no time, the OCE had a dynamic team put together under their Research Shop program.
The multidisciplinary team, led by Syed Mahamad, included Hamza Abouiznied, Mia Brufatto, Lily Li, and Lina Mabayyed undertook to identify motivations and barriers influencing the preservation of children’s artwork by families, and contributions to CDIC. Understanding these factors is crucial to increase CDIC’s ability to educate the public on the significance of children’s art and preserve it for future generations.
In total, 113 participants aged between 18 and 64 completed the online survey, and all Canadian provinces plus three territories were represented.
The team produced a report filled with never before documented insights on children’s art conservation as personal, family, or cultural heritage. Ninety (80%) of the survey participants reported that their parents saved their artwork when they were children, is but one such insight.
The study reveals that the main motivations for preserving children’s artwork within the home are:
Tracking the child’s artistic and personal development
Appreciating the artwork’s aesthetic value, and
Maintaining emotional connections to the pieces.
By far, the biggest barriers to preserving artwork in the home were a lack of space to physically store the artwork and time constraints.
Regarding contributing to the CDIC archive, the main motivating factors were:
The opportunity to share and celebrate the artwork with a broader audience,
The child desires to contribute to the archive, and
Receiving incentives, including crediting the child as the artist and/or small giveaways.
Factors that discouraged participants from contributing to the archive included:
A lack of knowledge about the CDIC and its mission,
Perceived logistical challenges with the artwork submission process, and
Reluctance within the family to part with the original artwork.
The research team included recommendations based on their findings. The new knowledge emerging from the study will help CDIC to review its communication tools, as well as its collection development strategies.
At this point, it seems that CDIC should simultaneously address the need of families that seek as much exposure as possible for their images, and the need of families that prefer a restrained access limited only for archival and research purposes.
Stay tuned to see how CDIC will adapt for better serve contributing families, and reach out to other collection users. For the great project partnership, CDIC would like to thank the research team, as well as Evan Gravely and the Office of Community Engagement, at McMaster University.
Reasons why participants were interested in contributing to the CDIC archive. Source: McMaster University, 2024.
Children’s Design International Collection (CDIC) wants to hear from dedicated individuals who will help the organization solidify its base and develop new strategies. Board volunteers commit to a two-year term on our working board of directors. Previous experience with a registered charity is preferred. Both member and officer positions are available:
Treasurer: A passion for budgeting, bookkeeping, risk assessment, reporting, and team work is required. The Treasurer oversees the implementation and review of the Financial Management Policy. The Treasurer chairs the Fundraising Committee. The organization has relied on steady donations, has initiated its corporate sponsorship program, and has yet to receive foundation grants.
Secretary: A passion for record keeping, policy review, contract monitoring, and team work is required. The Secretary oversees the recording of meeting proceedings, as well as the organization’s calendar and notices. The Secretary ensures that the organization’s decisions are reflecting its by-laws, policies and programs.
Director: A passion for education, the arts, the humanities, networking, and team work is required. Board members ensure the sustainable well-being and development of the organization. The board member may chair a standing committee.
The board meetings are held online, two to four times a year. Committee meetings are schedules as needed. The organization has cumulated project partnerships, and aims at long term program partnerships. CDIC is a member of Archivists Association of Ontario and Volunteer Canada. CDIC enjoys a strong presence on the web through the web site, social media and newsletter.
To apply: Use this online form or email resume, with optional LinkedIn link, to info@cdic-cide.org with Board Member in the subject line, by November 15th 2024. Take a step forward with us!
About one hundred people of different generations came to appreciate inspiring art, made by the student of the University of Guelph Child Care and Learning Centre (CCLC). The art for Exploring Connection was on display all week and part of the school day for students. A ceremony was held on Thursday.
Eight rooms were filled with hundreds of images made in various media, each reflecting a specific theme. They were created by the children over the recent months. It is always great to see artworks where they were made. Several of the images are displayed on our dedicated web page and will available all summer. We were given the opportunity to present some of our collection items to visiting families.
It is full of admiration for the CCLC educators who so wonderfully accompanied their students and documented the process, under the guidance of Pedagogical Leader Kimberley Barton, that I presented their director, Valerie Trew, with a certificate of appreciation. Both partners of this exhibition project are grateful for the sponsorships and kind support from LINAMAR and GUELPHTODAY.com.
The CCLC was the perfect place and team to hold our first ever exhibition partnership. It is a place where children, their care givers, educators and researchers can learn from each other. Several families have expressed the intention to contribute to the collection. More to come about new items soon.
Valerie Trew (left) and Kimberley Barton receive CDIC certificate from Léo Beaulieu, 13 June 2024. Photo: Kim’s mom.
This year again, we add our voice to those of many dedicated people and institutions that care for archives around the world. This year’s theme is #CyberArchives.
The International Council on Archives has put together an impressive global agenda for the occasion, filled with a wide variety of events. One of them is our Exploring Connection project, coming to fruition on June 13th during a special ceremony, at the University of Guelph Child Care and Learning Centre.
This to say that the past still has a long and bright future ahead.
Will an April 1st come when pranks and their fools will go unnoticed? Maybe we have already reached this point.
In recent years, we have seen the proliferation of fake news, as well as reciprocal foreign interference through social media. Add to this the several armed conflicts across the globe, of which many say the first victim is truth itself.
We thought we would make things real this year, by sharing our April Fools image with you. The pencil drawing was made in Quebec, during World War II. It is a long standing French tradition to stick a small fish on the back of an unsuspecting victim on April 1st. Interestingly, it was not preserved by the young girl who made it, nor by her mother, but rather by her older sister. It is now part of Lisette Tremblay’s fonds in our collection.
April Fool. By Bérangère Tremlay, c1944. Source: CDIC-CIDE.
Calling all Canadian residents. Take part in an interview that will help uncover new knowledge about children’s art conservation. A research team at McMaster University Research Shop is looking for parents and grand parents who will give an hour of their time before April 1st, 2024. Scan the QR code below or use this link to request an interview.
The interview will be conducted individually on Zoom, and will be about art and children’s art. Participants will receive a $25 gift card for their participation. Please note that interview spots are limited. Participants will be selected to interview such that various backgrounds and perspectives are represented. People not selected for a live interview will have the opportunity to fill out a questionnaire if they wish to share their input.
For further information, contact project lead Syed Mahamad (mahamads@mcmaster.ca, 905-525-9140 ext. 26804).
If you have a virtual or wall bulletin board, by all means post and share this PDF poster and spread the word for us.
Research Shop at McMaster University is a co-curricular program that works with public, non-profit, and community organizations in Hamilton. It supports students with research opportunities in the community.
We would like to thank the Office of Community Engagement at McMaster University for facilitating this partnership.
We wish everyone a fantastic 2024, and we take this opportunity to thank the nearly 14,000 people who visited our website this past year. The site received over 400,000 hits, which is a 30 per cent increase from the previous year. Users obviously appreciate that we made the collection accessible and searchable online.
These past few months, our e-newsletter list also grew to over a 1,000 subscribers worldwide. We keep the distribution to only a few issues per year, so your inbox is safe with us.
If you still have art from your childhood or teens, our new Youtube volunteer is looking to interview you.
Taran is based in the United States, and will meet you on Zoom for about 30 minutes. The recorded interview only takes 5-8 minutes. Feel free to ask Taran about robotics, or any of his many interests.
The activity is meant to encourage families to preserve these precious objects, and prevent their disappearance.
With Taran, you will share the image you have saved, its story, how it was preserved, and how you feel about it. We welcome interviewees from all backgrounds and walks of life. A broadcast release form will be provided. Simply email Taran at info@cdic-cide.org.
Nearly 150 new items are now available for viewing online. They were all created almost twenty years ago, and a contribution made by Gisèle Dallaire and her children in August.
The new images include several school activity sheets by Claire, and drawings by her pre-teen big brother, who showed enthusiasm for muscle cars and some comic book characters.
Autumn (detail). By Claire Chambers. c2004. Source: CDIC-CIDE.
