Since we’re about to embark on a holiday weekend, I thought I’d post something light and pleasant today.

This week, Google announced (and displayed) the winner of their Doodle 4 Google competition. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a competition where K-12 students compete to reinvent Google’s homepage with their own Google Doodle. Of course, there’s a theme, and this year’s theme was “What I wish for the world.”  That’s sort of a large order, but kids are rarely daunted and they came out with some fantastic drawings.

The national winner was from Christin Engelberth a sixth grader at Bernard Harris Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. She titled her doodle “A New Beginning” to express her wish that “out of the current crisis, discoveries will be found to help the Earth prosper once more.”  Her Google Doodle was displayed on the Google home page all day yesterday.

There were three other national finalists, including two from the Cincinnati area. The four finalists were treated to a trip to New York City and a special event at the Smithsonian’s, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, where the doodles will be on display through July 5. How cool is that? These four kids are part of their own art exhibit!

As the national winner, Christin received a $15,000 college scholarship, a trip to the Google New York Office, a laptop computer, and a t-shirt printed with her doodle. Her junior high school is also getting a $25,000 technology grant towards the establishment/improvement of a computer lab. The other three finalists weren’t left out in the cold, however. They got everything Christin did, except for the scholarship and the grant. But still – a trip to NYC and a laptop aren’t bad at all!

Now, aren’t those happy thoughts to carry you into your holiday weekend?

Cheers!

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words and pictures by Brian Solis

The Children

I was given a tremendous gift recently, the ability to photograph a very special event that benefited a very special organization.

Relativity Media, LLC CEO, Ryan Kavanaugh and fashion designer Rosetta Millington Getty hosted The Art of Elysium’s 2nd annual black-tie charity gala at the beautiful and historic Vibiana in Los Angeles.

The Art of Elysium is a non-profit organization founded in 1997, that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. The organization provides artistic workshops that help children learn and participate in acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing. To contribute your time or donations, please contact them at: info@theartofelysium.org

Vibiana

The occasion served as an event to showcase the multitude of artistic expressions The Art of Elysium shares with hospitalized children on a daily basis.

The visual and conceptual aspects of the theme, “Heaven and Hell,” were created by legendary director, Jim Sheridan (Brothers, My Left Foot, In America), who also received the program’s Visionary award that evening. Following the celebration dinner at Vibrian, guests went followed the hosts to “hell” at the after-party hosted at The Edison.

Eva Mendes received the “Spirit of Elysium” award for her enthusiastic support and active participation in The Art of Elysium’s hospital program over the past two years, as well as her dedication to securing considerable financial support for the program.

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story…

Amber Heard

Brittany Snow

Shannen Doherty and Ryan Kavanaugh

Ryan Kavanaugh, Topher Grace

Zelda Williams

Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer

Ryan Kavanaugh, Amy Smart

Eva Mendes, Milla Jovovich

Rumer Willis, Ryan Kavanaugh

Priscilla Ahn

Ryan Kavanaugh, Sting

Gerard Butler

Ryan Kavanaugh and Kate Bosworth

Cartier Jewels

Priscilla Ahn performs

Ryan Kavanaugh, Jim Sheridan

The Edison

Daniel Lanois

Bonnie Sommerville, Andrew Marcus

Dave Annable

Ali Larter, Milla Jovovich

Kirsten Dunst

Donald Faison, Cacee Cobb

Gala attendants included Sting and wife, Trudie Styler, Gerard Butler, Kirsten Dunst, Aaron Eckhart, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer, Rosanna Arquette and Patricia Arquette, Joy Bryant, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, Rumer Willis, Amy Smart, Milla Jovovich, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Bonnie Sommerville, Dave Annable, Shiva Rose, Charles Roven, Kate Bosworth, Shannen Doherty, Brittany Snow, Marisa Tomei, Sophia Bush, Ali Larter, Elijah Wood, Jared Leto, Rachel Griffiths, Topher Grace, Amber Heard, Paula Wagner and Rick Nicita, Lisa Love, Frederic de Narp and Ben Silverman.

For more pictures, please visit my album on Flickr.

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