Profiles of Contemporary Art and - ARTisSpectrum

CAMERAS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION EXPANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
by Betsey Chesler
New York City welcomed the Cameras For Kids Foundation
(CFKF) in January 2011 with the launch of the CFKF Fine
Art Photography program at the Kaplan House - a residential
foster facility in Manhattan.
CFKF is a 501c3 nonprofit charitable organization that provides
underprivileged children (many living in foster care facilities)
with a point and shoot digital camera and instruction
on how to create art through photography. The program helps
children develop personal artistic expression during the weekly
workshops and assignments that introduce art and photography.
Through a lens, students gain a new view of the world.
The program encourages steadfast participation and promotes
self-confidence while giving children creative and technical
skills. At the end of the course, children’s works are proudly
showcased in a gallery photography exhibit.
CFKF was founded in 2009 by fine art photographer Betsey
Chesler after she returned from South Africa, where she volunteered
for a month in numerous orphanages. Chesler’s eyes
and heart were opened from witnessing such poverty, illness
and lack of regard for human life as she saw there.
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“I was unable to walk away from an experience like that and
not find a way to make a difference,” Chesler said. Determined
to make an impact in the lives of abandoned children, she purchased
the first cameras and began sharing her talent and her
passion for photography with kids in need.
“All children deserve a chance for a productive and positive future,”
declares Chesler, adding that in the United States there
are over 500,000 children living in foster care and 146 million
children in foster care worldwide. “Nothing is more rewarding
than being able to share your passion and make a positive
difference in the life of a less fortunate, deserving child. I am
blessed to be able to share the magical rewards of art.”
CFKF opens doors for underprivileged children by giving them
a creative voice and enabling them to recognize their potential
in a productive and often therapeutic manner. The program’s
Instructors encourage children to consider future endeavors
and careers in photography, fine arts and professional fields
that would lead to success.
Following the launch of the first CFKF at a foster facility in
South Florida, the organization was contacted by photographers
and foster facilities worldwide wanting to be part of this
wonderful program. CFKF has since launched in Illinois and
New York and soon will be in Los Angeles. Chesler states her
eventual plan is to be an International Foundation.
“The goal is to use photography to benefit children-in-need
throughout the world,” she explained, recalling motivational
stories of children she has taught.
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One child, 16, found himself with his four siblings in foster care
six years ago. A speech impediment triggered his introverted
personality in order to avoid being teased by other children.
After undergoing speech therapy and participating in the CFKF
program, he volunteered to speak at the first CFKF fundraiser
in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He shared how CFKF sparked his interest
in furthering his education and incorporating photography
into his schooling and career. Chesler said she realized the
impact CFKF was making when she saw this child looking out
the window of his foster home, waiting for her to arrive each
Saturday. He was the first student to greet her and help carry
her photographs to the classroom. He is one of several students
who have expressed interest in sharing a new love of
photography with other foster children in the future.
CFKF is pleased to announce the newest division of their organization,
the Mentor Program. It begins as a group workshop