Watts of Love is an international non-profit organization dedicated to bringing safe and renewable solar lighting to the 1.3 billion people living without basic access to electricity.

Take a peek at their vision:

By providing sustainable, safe, and reliable lighting products, Watts of Love will help to:
IMPROVE HEALTH & SAFETY
Eliminates toxic kerosene emissions thus preventing respiratory diseases
Reduces burn injuries and house fires caused by kerosene used as a light source
REDUCE POVERTY
Eliminates the cost of buying kerosene and immediately improves income
Increases night-time productivity and income-generating activities
Allows extended hours of safe study time to enhance education
SAVE OUR PLANET
Reduces CO2 emissions, indoor air pollution and consumption of natural resources

Find out more on their website, Facebook page, twitter or Instagram!

Thanks for the suggestion Thom! 10% of all profits from my artwork sold will be donated to Watts of Love for the month of may.

Kimbo’s Artstravaganza – SYD.

I am very pleased to announce that as of Saturday the 2nd of March, 2013…I’m a married woman! Well….sort of. We had a beautiful ceremony before 100 of our closest friends and family. There was a cake, photo booth, flowers…you name it! All of the trimmings that formulate a beautiful event that celebrates the union of two people. Problem #1 is that we hosted our wedding in Arizona, a state that does not recognize same-sex marriage. But hey, same-sex marriage isn’t recognized on a Federal level in the United States yet anyway. Problem #2 is that we live in Sydney, Australia where we cannot be legally married to one another. When researching our rights in New South Whales, Cole and I came across Glrl.org.

The Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) advocates on behalf of the lesbians and gay men. They provide referral and educative resources on gay and lesbian rights to the media, policy makers and the community. Here are a few excerpts from their website: glrl.org.au

“We lobby politicians, government departments, policy makers and the media to redress discrimination against lesbians and gay men.”

“We represent the gay and lesbian community at the local, state and national level through statewide consultations. Our major consultations have highlighted social injustice and legal inequality faced by lesbians and gay men, in areas such as relationship recognition, parenting and adoption rights, workplace discrimination, the age of consent and homophobic violence.”

“We empower the community to take action in the push for equality. The GLRL runs volunteer working groups which organise campaigns and events highlight equality issues.”

For the month of March I am going to be a little bit self-serving. I will be donating a portion of all proceeds from my artwork sold to support Gay and Lesbian rights in my new home, New South Whales. For now my partner and I will be married where it really counts…in our hearts!! Love you boo.

Find out more about the organization at: http://glrl.org.au/

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This month Ive decided to kickoff the year with a global non-profit, seeing as I recently moved across the globe to Australia! Action Against Hunger has a proven track record of success and uses the majority of it’s funding for program services!

“Recognised as a leader in the fight against malnutrition, Action Against Hunger | ACF International saves the lives of malnourished children while providing communities with access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger. With 30 years of expertise in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity, ACF runs life-saving programs in some 40 countries benefiting five million people each year.”

Find out more at:
actionagainsthunger.org

Established by Marina & Kevin Krim in memory of their two children, The Lulu & Leo Fund seeks to raise money for children’s education and enrichment programs. Please join the Krim Family on this page to honor Lulu and Leo’s love of arts & sciences.

http://lululeofund.org/

The organization is called Team Rubicon. It’s a new kind of global disaster response that “harnesses the skills of military veterans; offering them a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves.”

They have already deployed all over the world for disaster relief, and have sent 6 teams to the Eastern coast of the US to support the repercussions of Hurricane Sandy.

Check out more at:

Team Rubicon- Operation Hurricane Sandy

Over the next few weeks I will be packing up my life and moving to Australia with my partner! Im am so excited to embark on this new adventure, and to explore cultural differences in my work! 

This Kickstarter Adopt-a-Painting Project will provide funds for creating a new series of 12 paintings featuring Queer-identified Australian women.  The new body of work will be exhibited at a local Australian gallery this year! And the best part is: My paintings are the rewards!  By pledging to fund this project you are adopting an existing or new painting. 

Find out more about the details and rewards at:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kimleutwyler/adopt-a-painting-project

This month a portion of the proceeds from my artwork sold will be donated to the Ashley Pruneau Fund. Trying to get the word out and help a friend in need.

On Saturday, July 1, 2012, an unknown attacker viciously assaulted Ashley Pruneau with a hammer while she was alone inside her apartment.

Ashley suffered numerous blows to the head during the assault, and the attacker left her to die. Fortunately, she was discovered and was rushed to the hospital in time to save her life.

Letizia’s Fiore hosted a Fundraiser – $15 donation pp went 100% to Ashley’s fund for her recovery, medical bills etc. Letizia’s Fiore provided wood fired pizzas and Moretti beer for all attendees. Silent auction and More.

Please take the time to post this link to your walls so we can send as much help as possible. If you didn’t make the fundraiser, please use the link below to do what you can.

http://www.gofundme.com/AshleyPruneau

My partner Cole discovered this non-profit through one of her gym members who is organizing an upcoming run to raise funds for Open Heart Magic!!

Their Mission is to use the therapeutic power of magic and laughter to energize and strengthen seriously ill children in Chicago area hospitals, and aid their healing. They strive to reach young patients one-by-one regardless of their disease, medical situation or physical ability so that all children may benefit from this engaging and entertaining therapy.

Their Vision:

“To give every hospitalized child the chance to receive the benefits of participating in bedside magic. To grow slowly and smartly in size and method to continue to thoughtfully reach these children. To continue to foster the highest standards of personalized interaction and magic engagement and consistently improve our methods using magic as therapy to empower children so we strengthen the benefits of what we do and can apply these methods to teach others in new applications.”

This month a percentage of my artwork sold will be donated to Open Heart Magic!  Check them out at:

http://www.openheartmagic.org/

A Vision Chicago is excited to announce the opening of Kim Leutwyler.
Please join us for the artist reception and wine tasting, which will take place on:

Friday, June 22, 2012 from 6pm – 10pm
910 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622

June 22nd 2012 marks the beginning of Chicago’s yearly Pride Celebration. What better way to kick off Pride Weekend than an artist reception and wine-tasting amongst beautiful floral arrangements at A Vision Chicago? Stop in, try some wine and check out the work of Kim Leutwyler, a Chicago-based artist who creates large-scale paintings primarily dealing with images of beauty, gender, and Queer-identity.

Kim Leutwyler incorporates various facets of nature in to her work, which makes A Vision Chicago the perfect pairing for her paintings. Her artwork has been exhibited in multiple galleries throughout the United States, and she is part of a permanent collection at both the Naestved Cultural Center in Denmark and the Brooklyn Art Library in New York.

Mark your calendar, gather your friends and plan the trip as this opening will be an amazing way to kick off Pride Weekend.

A Vision Chicago

Since 2005, A Vision, has been bringing a fresh and stylish energy to the Chicagoland area, with original, customized concepts, modern floral designs and highly personalized service. Breathing new life into the familiar, their unique offerings are a perfect mix of contemporary and classic, certain to delight and destined to leave a vivid and lasting impression.

www.avisionchicago.com

Kim Leutwyler

Kim Leutwyler creates large-scale figure paintings of LGBTQ-identified women. She holds concurrent degrees in Studio and Art History from Arizona State University, and graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a Painting and Drawing degree.

www.kimleutwyler.com