children’s art – Illinois Highlights

August 8, 2019April 13, 2026

World Cat Day

Happy World Cat Day! Also called International Cat Day, the holiday was first established by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002. However, national holidays celebrating our feline friends have observed in countries around the world for decades. To celebrate, the IDHH spotlights items from Illinois State University’s collections.
First, behold the artwork of talented youngsters who loved their cats enough to immortalize them in pencil and watercolors. The paintings below are from the International Collection of Child Art and were created by children ages 8 through 13 from Colombia, Wales, and the U.S. The children’s attention to detail show how dear their furry friends were.

Child’s color watercolor painting of an orange cat with a blue ball — Cat. 1969. Illinois State University. International Collection of Child Art. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

Child’s color watercolor painting of a black and white cat standing of a kitten of the same color — My Cat and Kitten. 1960. Illinois State University. International Collection of Child Art. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

Child’s black and white pencil drawing of a cat in grass — Caption: Observation Drawing of a Cat. 1980. Illinois State University. International Collection of Child Art. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

Next, here are toys from Japan featured from the Ethnology Teaching Collection, including a papier-mâché cat in a basket and the famous good luck charm of the waving cat, or ‘Maneki-Neko’. These figurines were placed in shop windows, inviting customers in and waving good-bye on their way out.

One piece molded and painted papier mache cat in basket. Painted red, white and green — Paper Cat in Basket. No date. Illinois State University. Ethnology Teaching Collection. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

One piece molded and painted cat figure. Painted red, white and green. Has wooden toy and silk rattle on back — Paper Cat with Toy. No date. Illinois State University. Ethnology Teaching Collection. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

Cat figure, painted white and red. Called 'Maneki-Neko' in Japanese. Used to set in store window to invite customers in and bring good luck — Maneki-Neko Cat. No date. Illinois State University. Ethnology Teaching Collection. Permission to display was given by Illinois State University Milner Library.

See all items in the IDHH related to cats.

December 13, 2018April 13, 2026

Season’s Greetings from the IDHH

The Illinois Digital Heritage Hub celebrates December by highlighting items that symbolize three of the month’s holidays as well as the winter solstice. Best wishes to everyone this holiday season.

folded cream-colored paper with the message, "Kwanzaa is a way of life that we celebrate” and “Happy Kwanzaa. May the spirit of Kwanzaa guide you through each day” in red, green, gold, and black color ink — Happy Kwanzaa. Date unknown. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library. Amos Kennedy Collection. Permission to display was given by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library.

Children's color painting depicting the lighting of a Menorah — Chanukah. 1960. Illinois State University. International Collection of Child Art (ICCA). Permission to display was given by the Illinois State University Milner Library

black and white photo of lights hung on the Fort Sheridan Tower in the shape of a Christmas tree — Christmas Lights on the Tower, Fort Sheridan. 1965. Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County. Fort Sheridan Collection. Permission to display was given by Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County

“Happy Kwanzaa” is shared with permission from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library. See all items contributed by the UIUC Library to the IDHH. The item is from a collection of materials created by artist and teacher Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. that speak to issues of equality, freedom, race, and African American and Pan-African history and culture.

“Chanukah” is shared with permission from the Illinois State University Milner Library. See all of Illinois State University’s items in the IDHH. Browse all items in the International Collection of Child Art, of which Chanukah is an item.

“Christmas Lights on the Tower” is provided with permission from the Bess Bower Museum of Lake County. See all their items in the IDHH. The item is from the Fort Sheridan collection, which documents the history of a former U.S. Army post in Lake County north of Chicago.

October 19, 2018April 13, 2026

Celebrating Halloween

The Illinois Digital Heritage Hub celebrates Halloween and the month of October with paintings from the International Collection of Child Art (ICCA) provided by one of our newest partners, Illinois State University. The ICCA features two-dimensional art in many different media created by children around the world. More information on the ICCA can be found on ISU’s ICCA website..

The images featured from this collection are from the 1960s but are so relatable that they could be contemporary and feature costumed kids trick-or-treating, a haunted house complete with ghosts, skeletons, and a graveyard, pumpkins, bats, and black cats, a costume party, and a witch on her broomstick.

As historical artifacts, the paintings demonstrate how old and enduring some of Halloween’s most iconic images and traditions are with perhaps only the hair and clothing styles of some of the children in the paintings hinting at the works’ ages. The artists range from ages 9 and 12 and would be in their 50s and 60s today.

Child's painting of a trick-or-treater dressed as a skeleton — Halloween Fun. 1960. Illinois State University. Permission to display was given by Milner Library, Illinois State University.

Child's painting of a haunted house with ghosts and walking skeletons — Halloween Ghosts. 1960. Illinois State University. Permission to display was given by Milner Library, Illinois State University.

Child's painting of a Halloween costume party — I Go to a Party. 1960. Illinois State University. Permission to display was given by Milner Library, Illinois State University.

Child's drawing featuring jack-o-lanterns and ghosts. — On Halloween Night. 1960. Illinois State University. Permission to display was given by Milner Library, Illinois State University.

Child's painting of a witch flying on a broomstick — The Mean Queen of Halloween. 1968. Illinois State University. Permission to display was given by Milner Library, Illinois State University.

The entire International Collection of Child Art can be found in the IDHH here. All of the Halloween-themed items contributed by Illinois Digital Heritage Hub institutions may be searched on the IDHH website.