Photography Exhibition Benefits Operation Smile

Look At Life, a New York based art collective founded by O.A.R. bassist Benj Gershman, held a photography exhibition and reception to honor and benefit Operation Smile in New York City. The exhibition featured selected photography from 27 Operation Smile volunteer professional photographers who participated in the organization's 25th Anniversary initiative; the World Journey of Smiles, 40 simultaneous medical missions in 25 countries worldwide, took place November 7-16, 2007.

The exhibition was on display February 26 to March 3, 2008 with an evening reception on February 28 at Splashlight, a photography services studio, which donated use of their facilities located in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. Printing of the more than 70 images was donated by Digital Plus, a full service graphic and digital reproduction house. During the reception, the studio was packed to maximum capacity with hundreds of attendees.

Click here to see special video, hosted by Benj Gershman, about the exhibition and reception.

The photo exhibition depicted how more than 4,000 children's lives were changed forever in a ten-day period during the World Journey of Smiles. This exhibition also showed the process of Operation Smile's medical missions through the eyes of the photographers who donate their time, talent and resources to the charity. Gershman and Operation Smile volunteer photographer Rohanna Mertens curated the exhibit.

Gershman serves as one of Operation Smile's Smile Ambassadors and traveled on an Operation Smile medical mission to Peru in May 2007. "Putting together the World Journey of Smiles exhibition was something very special to be able to do," said Gershman. "I've wanted to show my appreciation for Operation Smile's work in some way for a while now. I couldn't have asked for a more appropriate and amazing occurrence to document and exhibit. So many wonderful people were a part of this global initiative—not only the children, doctors, surgeons, volunteers and personnel, but the photographers themselves."

Look At Life was formed in 2005, and it currently hosts photography, art and writing for artists online at www.lookatlife.com.

Following are the Operation Smile volunteer professional photographers who were featured at the exhibition from the countries they documented for the World Journey of Smiles.

Bolivia (Santa Cruz)
Erin Lubin - San Francisco, California

Brazil (Fortaleza)
Will Kerner - Charlottesville, Virginia

Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
Anja Ligtenberg - Amsterdam, Netherlands

China (Linyi)
Jeff Zelevansky - Maplewood, New Jersey

Colombia (Bogotá)
Mabel Rodríguez - Coconut Grove, Florida

Ecuador (Quito)
Ken Holt - Colombia, South Carolina

Egypt (Quena)
Tyler Barrick - Flemington, New Jersey

Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
Carl Costas - Sacramento, California

Honduras (Santa Rosa de Copan)
Justin Bowen - Alpine, Utah

India (Vijaywada)
Jasmin Shah - Chicago, Illinois

Jordan (Amman)
Jessica Lifland - San Francisco, California

Kenya (Nakuru)
Shiho Fukada - New York, New York

Laos (Pakse)
Pamela Jones - Miami Beach, Florida

Mexico (Puerto Vallarta)
Justin Appenzeller - Brooklyn, New York

Morocco (Tetouan)
Paul Fetters - Falls Church, Virginia

Nicaragua (Managua)
Vasna Wilson - San Francisco, California

Nicaragua (Managua)
Liz Brown - New York, New York

Panama (Chorrera)
Rohanna Mertens - New York, New York

Paraguay (Asuncion)
Veronica Donnelly - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Peru (Arequipa)
Diana Mulvihill - South Pasadena, California

Philippines (Makati/Naga)
Bill Harrigan - Key Largo, Florida

Russia (Taganrog)
Jamie Rector - Long Beach, California

Madagascar (Tamatave)
Scarlett Steer - Cape Town, South Africa

Thailand (Maesot)
Chet Gordon - Newburgh, New York

Vietnam (Hanoi)
Peter Stuckings - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Venezuela (Barinas)
Stephanie Oberlander - Norfolk, Virginia

China (Hangzhou), Jordan (Amman), Philippines (Naga City)
Marc Ascher - Lebanon, New Jersey