How we started

The history of the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) begins in the mid-1980s with the proposal of a very honest and simple idea: to create an organization that would actively nurture, sustain and promote the artistic promise and creativity of children around the world.

At the time, participation in the visual arts was increasingly being cited by educators and child development professionals as a significant factor in improving the overall academic achievement of children. But there was no truly comprehensive, national and international effort to promote child art and visual learning, particularly regarding the underserved group of 8- to 12-year-old children.

ICAF's founder, Ashfaq Ishaq, an educator (and former award-winning child artist), believed the time was right for such an effort. In addition to programs designed to actively engage children in the creation of original artwork worldwide, Dr. Ishaq envisioned an international children's art festival, to be held, like the Olympic games, in a host city. Schools in every country would participate, and creative children, along with their parents and teachers, would be invited to attend the festival's exhibitions, creativity workshops, seminars and ceremonies.

The festivals could be a strong source of encouragement and pride for each child, and he believed that through the universal language of art, understanding and cooperation could be fostered among all children, the future leaders of our world.

Due to the geopolitical realities of the Cold War, the ICAF dream was over ten years in the making. The advancing trend towards globalization in the early 1990s finally made possible the formal creation of the Foundation. ICAF was incorporated in the District of Columbia in April 1997. ICAF was registered as an nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with an IRS ruling in November 1997.