The Vanderbilt Republic Foundation

The Vanderbilt Republic Foundation was founded by a team of professional photography creatives with a shared desire to return attention to the value of the human experience. The VRF’s mission is to increase public awareness of critical arts, cultural, and human rights organizations. The Foundation does this by producing commercial-grade photography shoots with the industry’s most diverse and innovative working creatives.

The VRF’s first project is a four-week-long shoot in Cambodia this October, to document the lives of Cambodian performing arts masters — musicians and artists with cultural roots going back a thousand years, but whose ranks were decimated by Pol Pot’s regime in the late 1970s. It’s a fascinating, deeply moving subject, and I’m proud to announce that I’ve accepted a position on the VRF’s advisory committee.

Watch the movie, read about the project, and consider getting involved. Every donation, no matter the size, helps.

★ Wednesday, 22 July 2009