Kids with Cameras was founded in 2002 by photographer Zana Briski out of her work teaching photography to children in Calcutta’s red-light district. They believe that photography is an effective tool in igniting children’s imagination and building self-esteem. They believe in the power of art to transform lives, for both the artist and the viewer.

Kids with Cameras was the subject of a documentary film called “Born into Brothels” (available on Netflix). One of their first kids, Avijit, is now a film student at NYU! My donations will go directly to his scholarship fund. Here is a link to a short film he has made dios te salve maria yt version. I would like to see his dreams come true.

10% of my fee in November and December of 2009 will be donated to Kids With Cameras and the Avijit scholarship fund (http://www.kids-with-cameras.org).

As a performing artist, and a photographer, I know how art changed my life, growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. My first camera was a kodak instamatic x15f (think a little point and shoot camera with a disposable flash bar). I immediately began terrorizing the family pets by making them pose in my mother’s flower garden. While “at work” I destroyed many flowers and took hundreds of photos of the pets, flowers and the family, which my parents were obliged to print and save.

This certainly is a year in which charities really could use our help. Many are feeling the financial crunch. So, I now challenge you to consider giving a matching sized gift to a charity of your choice.