By Meagan J. Meehan, Examiner.com, January 10, 2013.
"Even the youngest children appreciate shapes and colors and that is why cheerfully hued and oddly shaped toys are popular styles in items intended to hang on the side of a crib or suspend over a stroller. The reaction that young children have to colors and shapes is not unlike the reactions that adults have to works of art that somehow amuse, inspire, or emotionally move them. Hence, children can be, and often are, just as inspired by artwork as adults are.
Encounters with the arts have become very limited for many children. As a result of cash strapped school systems and heavily academic curriculums, many art classes have been eliminated from curriculums and this leaves many children at a great disadvantage to learn about art. Luckily, both homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers are able to escape this pitfall by simply making an effort to add art into their lives.
It is easy to learn about art via artist’s biographies, museums, and books about art styles and art history. However, there is still somewhat of a disconnection between children and art that is incorporated into their everyday lives. While children can certainly learn about art by doing some reading and research on the subject, they only truly appreciate it by embracing it in their everyday lives—such as in their room décor.
There are many places that one can find art for cheap. Home Goods, Target, and Ikea are popular chain retailers that all offer standard art pieces for relatively little money. These are generally widely manufactured pieces that might be visually appealing but are not particularly unique. Furthermore, many of these works are not specifically for children and thus the colors and patterns might not appeal to a young person. Fortunately, there is now a go-to location for parents who are looking to get unusual, appealing and playful art for their child’s room: LittleCollector.com.
Little Collector is a website that is dedicated to providing unique and quality pieces of art that are geared toward children with the intention of brightening their rooms and allowing them to appreciate fine art on a daily basis. One look around the website makes it clear that there is something for nearly every color scheme and style. Each piece is created by a professional artist, some fledging and others established. Additionally, parents will be relieved to know that Little Collector is fairly priced and most pieces sell between $40 and $375, depending on the requested print size and framing option. The website also includes information about art (“Art 101”), a blog, and gift certificates that would make a great present for any occasion.
Little Collector is very prompt about answering email inquiries and their representatives are extremely polite and helpful. Moreover, founder Chrissy Crawford was kind enough to explain her reasons for starting this groundbreaking new store:
“Before I founded Little Collector I was working as a private art advisor and my clients would frequently ask me to find art for their kids’ rooms. I was disappointed at the offerings on the market for kids. There was either very high-end expensive pieces that children would have to be very careful around, or Disney posters. I realized there was a niche for affordable contemporary art for kids that was created by top artists but was still accessible to families and made with the active imaginations of little ones in mind. To that end, all of our prints are framed with Plexi so that they won't break, are easy to wipe down and can be hung at kids eye level. We really believe that all kids deserve to grow up around great art, and the best part has been how excited and receptive artists are - even big names like Shepard Fairey and David Levinthal - to making art for kids!”
The Internet is making shopping and merchandise options more accessible and varied than ever before. An innovative company such as Little Collector is an example of how the Internet has opened doors for children to explore the world and discover something that they can collect and enjoy forevermore. It is certainly worth looking into if you are planning to redecorate a child’s room or think that your child would appreciate an art piece that is for sale. Businesses like Little Collector are trailblazers in responding to noted gaps in the retail market and they should be supported out of respect for the marvelous service and products that they offer."
