The Iowa Children’s Museum is proud to host award-winning photographer Nancy Farese as part of our 25th-anniversary celebration! Farese invites you to explore the profound impact of play through the eyes of children across the globe.
From the laughter of children in refugee camps to unstructured play in diverse cultures, Farese’s work shows how play transcends boundaries and fosters resilience and healing. Drawing on her travels to fourteen countries, Farese challenges us to reconsider the essential role of play. Join us and discover how play can transform how we educate, care, and connect as adults!
This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is encouraged. Thanks for letting us know you’ll be there!
11:30 AM-Noon: Meet & Greet with Nancy Farese, Gallery Tour
Event attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet Nancy Richards Farese and tour her moving photos throughout The Iowa Children’s Museum. Participate in a staff-guided tour of these impactful photos of children playing throughout the world and speak directly with the photographer who captured them!
Note: Lunch will not be provided during this event, but you are welcome to bring a meal or grab something from the food court outside of our doors and enjoy it during the presentation!
Noon: Artist Presentation
Nothing lights up the brain like play. Humans need play, and lots of it, to wire up our brains for a lifetime of development and flourishing. And yet, a common misconception about play is that it is unimportant. Join award-winning photographer Nancy Farese to explore what happens when we invert the notion of adults teaching children and instead see what children can teach adults about the power of play to build resilience, collaboration, and just so much fun.
Farese’s book Potential Space: A Serious Look at Child’s Play offers a visual survey of children’s play across 14 countries on behalf of CARE International and the United Nations Commission on Refugees, reflecting on humanity’s relationship to this essential activity through the lens of diverse cultures, traditions, and economics. Perhaps there has never been a more salient time to remember the power of play to shape who we are, both as individuals and as a society.