Wally's
Imaginarium
Engaging the minds of young students
Creativity Unleashed
Wallace Edwards' imagination transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for generations of children.
Established in loving memory of Wallace Edwards (September 1957 – December 2022), the Wally’s Imaginarium Fund is available to support art-based activities for children, emphasizing storytelling through the visual arts in a variety of ways. The Fund offers grants for schools, libraries and other educational settings, so that accredited artists can work with children to explore and expand their creativity.
Why we need Wally's Imaginarium
Research indicates that children who are nourished creatively at a young age demonstrate long-lasting benefits.
7 Great Benefits of Painting & Drawing
• Enhances creativity...
• Improves academic performance...
• Increases self-reliance...
• Improves memory...
• Fosters improved decision-making. ...
• Enhances leadership skills...
• Promotes improved motor skills…
“When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her - that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said,
'You mean they forget?’”
Howard Ikemoto
The Program
Launched in 2024, the program supports opportunities for artists to offer workshops and presentations for children in schools, libraries, and other educational settings. Art-based activities emphasize storytelling through the visual arts, with a focus on analog drawing/painting.
Funds raised through this endowment are available to support ‘free to student’ art-based activities for children in a variety of ways. Fully trained and accredited artists will work with children to explore and expand their creativity.
About Wally
WALLACE EDWARDS
September 1957 – December 2022
A Governor General's Award-winning artist, Wally believed in nurturing children’s imagination and dedicated himself to teaching not to draw so much as to use drawing to let their imaginations soar. Wally was very popular with children, who loved his nonsensical creativity, and through him learned the power of their own creativity.
Support for the Imaginarium
Your Donation Matters
Our ability to bring this program to children depends on donor support. The Wally's Imaginarium endowment is managed by the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area which issues charitable donation tax receipts to donors who provide the requested contact information.
Donors should indicate that their donation is for the Wally's Imaginarium Fund to ensure that the donation can be directed accordingly. Donations made by February 28, 2025 are eligible for a tax receipt for the 2024 tax year. Individuals or organizations who wish to make a donation by giving a gift of securities should go to the link provided – also contact the CFKA Executive Director, Stacy Kelly, at ed@cfka.org.
Words about creativity
“I believe that without him I may not have pursued my dream of being an artist – or ever thought I could illustrate books myself one day.”
Student inspired by Wally
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Pablo Picasso
“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.”
George Bernard Shaw