International PaintPals (IPP) provides a creative forum for young people worldwide to learn about important issues, to express their personal views, and to share cultures and friendships through the universal language of art. The focus is on education and diverse participation. To fulfill this mission IPP promotes international painting exhibitions, related educational programs, inter-country artists visits, artwork exchanges, and art sale fundraising activities for children's charities.
IPP was started in 1995 by The Atlanta Project of The Carter Presidential Center, assisted by associates in the global network of The Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum in London, and by The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. It is now one of several programs conducted by Youth Art Connection, a division of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta which is an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Youth Art Connection operates a large gallery and workshop space in central Atlanta which serves as a haven for constructive activities and provides artists, ages six through eighteen, with an exclusive place to show their work. Local, national, and international art is displayed continually.
Following a successful multi-country exhibition for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, IPP produced another exhibit for the Goodwill Games and formed an alliance with the United Nations. Six major events for U.N. international conferences have been organized on themes of city environments and development; the world drug problem; human rights issues; combatting racism and intolerance; “9 /11 Aftermath”, and global agendas for the future. In every exhibition U.N. delegates and current world leaders have “seen the voices” of young people, future leaders, who are concerned about the world in which they live. IPP and Youth Art Connection received a “Global Tolerance Through the Arts Award” at the U.N. on December 11, 2001 for successfully promoting communication, understanding, and friendship.
Over one hundred thousand young people and hundreds of organizers across the United States and from 100 cities in 55 countries on 6 continents have participated in IPP events. IPP recruits local organizers in each country, provides opportunities and guidelines, and coordinates the activities. The artworks produced by children in this network have been displayed in their own countries and in high profile locations around the world – from Youth Art Connection Gallery in Atlanta to United Nations headquarters and UNICEF Gallery in New York, to the Admiralty in St. Petersburg, Russia, to the Children’s Castle in Tokyo -- from The World Bank in Washington, to the Museum of Greek Children’s Art in Athens, to the U.N. World Conference Against Racism in South Africa. Young artists have opportunities to visit their “PaintPals” and their exhibits in other countries and to develop personal friendships.