The indoor activities were held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center and the George Washington University. The outdoor festivities took place on The National Mall, near the U.S. Capitol.

at the Welcoming Ceremony in the auditorium of the Ronald Reagan Building, the child artists introduced themselves and greeted each other in their native languages. That evening the child artists had the opportunity to work together, by painting their own stars on a large mural. The workshop was led by Elaine Thomas, ICAF representations in the U.K.“Any thing is possible if you believe you can do it, even the creation of your own imaginative universe,” she told the kids.

The following day, the children got dressed up and again traveled in chartered coaches to the Ronald Reagan Building to attend ICAF’s first Children’s Creativity Symposium. They got the chance to listen to a speech made by an invited First Lady and other international experts on creativity, imagination and art.

The child artists were honored at ICAF’s Awards Ceremony and Luncheon. Several First Ladies and distinguished guests hugged and kissed these creative children who received medals and Certificates of Creativity.

The evening was spent at the National Zoo, making new friends, chatting about the endangered species and environmental problems back home.

The festivities on the Mall, which opened the next day, were organized over several blocks. Large tents housed different activities. In a tent just opposite the National Gallery of Art, the children’s own masterpieces about their visions of the new millennium were exhibited publicly for the first time. A Multicultural Exposition of arts and culture from participating countries dazzled the audience in an adjacent tent. A Creativity Studio, hosted workshops on arts and crafts from around the world. A World Stage for Children hosted performances by diverse musicians and dancers.

The celebration took place concurrently with the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival. On July 4th, the festival attracted over 100,000 people who visited the Mall for the Independence Day celebration. ICAF’s Exhibition on the Mall alone attracted approximately 125,000 attendees during the 5-day period.

Throughout the celebration, parents and teachers attended educational workshops and networking meetings. A special tour of the White House was arranged for the guests.

The child artists, under the guidance of muralists - Professor Mark Cooper, Larry B. Quick, Barbara Smolen and Faizaan Peerzada - collaboratively created the World Mural. This 16 x 24 feet mural, outlined by the map of the world, reflects the dreams and aspirations of the children for the new millennium.

The World Mural was unveiled the same day at a special ceremony, and it remained on display for the duration of the festival. This mural has since been exhibited at the United Nations Public Lobby in New York and at the “Millennium Celebration Around the World,” organized by the White House Millennium Council and presided over by former President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Hillary Clinton and Madeline Albright, the former U.S. Secretary of State.

ICAF thanks the 50 volunteers who helped transform our dream into a reality. We also thank the child artists for their enthusiasm and their joyful outlook, which pervaded the National Mall. Lastly, we are grateful to the one million plus kids around the world who participated in ICAF’s first global art competition. We regret that child artists from the other 36 participating countries were unable to attend the celebration because of lack of funds. We ask governments around the world to support their creative children by joining in the Arts Olympiad.