I think a lot about the children in this world who are suffering. Some of the suffering is so profound that it has required aid workers to come up with a new name for it, like in Alepo, where Neuropsychologists recently created the term, “Human Devastation Syndrome” in order to describe the extent of the trauma endured by children in that region. Other suffering is less obvious and is comprised of neglect, food insecurity, insufficient education and more.

I think about the value of “play” in childhood — the freedom it represents and the real, scientific impact it has on brain development. I think about the way that the freedom to play in childhood echoes across a lifetime cultivating a deeply visual inner-landscape that translates into the ability to get lost in a book, to think critically, to dream, to succeed. I revel in my own children’s privilege to play at this critical time in their development. I wish for the same for the millions of children here in the United States and across the globe who because of war, poverty, famine and greed, have lost their right to be children, to grow and develop in what is meant to be an innocent time.

With this in mind, I have launched the, Free-to-Play Project in which I create collage imagery of children in various states of physical play ….. running and leaping and laughing …. and raise funds for organizations that support children.

If you have a photograph of a child in your life in a state of physical play that you would like to contribute to this work, please consider sending it my way! There is no obligation to purchase the art that is created from the image. Although, if you do, one-half of the proceeds will be donated to an organization that provides for the well-being of children in need.

Each collage requires a detailed drawing and then application of collage  materials over many hours. In an effort to minimize my impact on the earth, I work almost exclusively with the torn paper of repurposed wall-calendars that have been donated to me by friends and family and now even strangers across the country.  My goal is to keep prices as  affordable as possible so that many families may contribute and also come away with a beautiful image of their own children in a state of play. If you decide to commission a piece,  your collage could either stand alone and be installed directly on a wall or it could be applied to a canvas like in the  photo above.

These are the costs for a collage that is approx 40″x 30″ in dimension with one-half of the proceeds going to a non-profit organization devoted to increasing the well-being of children in need:

Single Child Playing Collage  $400 

Single Child Playing Collage Mounted on Canvas  $550

Two Children Playing Collage $600

If you are interested in this project and this cost is not affordable,  please contact me directly so that we might find a way to work within your budget.

I am also available for more life-sized creations of children-at-play. These commissions can be discussed and priced out individually.

Please e-mail images directly to: meghannathanson@gmail.com

and send your commission request separately in the form below.