by Jessika Hepburn, editor
When Rebecca Peragine, the artist behind Children Inspire Design, contacted me to introduce her company, I knew right away that she fit perfectly into January’s theme of creative inspiration. Not because the word Inspire is in her business name but the fact that her business truly is inspiring in many ways. Rebecca has found a way to connect her business with being a positive force for change, combining social entrepreneurship, environmental responsibility and beautiful design.
Pictured above, the bird mobiles available in the Children Inspire Design store are a lovely example of how art can support community. Rebecca shared a bit of the story behind the mobiles with us:
Hope, opportunity and freedom have long been associated with birds and flight. These birds are made through a program called PEACE, a grassroots cooperative of women from semi-rural, economically disadvantaged areas in Mexico. PEACE’s line of art and crafts are mostly created from recycled materials. Proceeds from the sale of these products provide income to help lift families from a life of poverty to prosperity and gives them the hope and freedom to fly. Children Inspire Design supports PEACE by purchasing their handcraft birds and designing them into these mobiles and ornaments. Perfect for a nursery, a playroom or entryway, the bird collection gives rise to opportunity and hope for the community that makes them and love for the home that receives them.
Alphabet poster :: Manners wall cards :: Global Child Compassion poster :: Birds print :: World Map poster
About the Artist:
Artist, mother and social entrepreneur, Rebecca Peragine, has combined her passion for global design with her desire to inspire children to celebrate eco-consciousness and the beauty of different world cultures. Children Inspire Design is a product line of modern, eco-friendly and culturally diverse wall art, wall cards and posters, full of whimsy, and designed to help children learn compassion for our earth and all who inhabit it.
Creative recycling is at the heart of each design. Every image literally starts out as a pile of scrap papers from old magazines and other post-consumer paper sources. Rebecca then creates her signature art piece by piece by tearing the pieces of paper, assembling them according to their vibrant colors and drawing inspiration from her imagination and the “life” that each piece embodies. Many of the magazines she uses are written in other languages, thereby imbuing the art with the spirit of that language and the people it represents. Through this approach, the concepts of recycling and world appreciation are ever present.
Rebecca firmly believes that if we teach the importance of global responsibility at a young age, carrying that responsibility into the future will be second nature for our children.
Special Promotion: Children Inspire Design has offered Oh My! readers 25% off the entire store with the code OMHG25
Hug It Out poster :: Deer print :: Respect Our Earth poster
Learn more about Children Inspire Design by becoming a fan on Facebook, following @ChildDesign on Twitter, visiting the blog and signing up for their newsletter.
Global Child number wall cards :: Poppy Nesting Doll print :: Alphabet poster
