Today is World Water Day! Please take a minute to learn about the water crisis, our new campaign with charity: water and what you can do to be part of the solution to this sad situation that kills more people than all forms of violence, including war.

Over one year ago, BNE became an NPO and set out on a mission to help solve the world water crisis. We managed to raise a lot of awareness, got some cool artists involved, repaired a well in Jakarta, Indonesia and completed a well project at a school/orphanage in Mulajji Village, Uganda. It was really inspiring when people from over 40 different countries joined our movement and made all of this possible.

Even though we managed to provide over 2000 people with access to clean, safe water, we feel that we could have accomplished much more. The beginning was truly a big learning experience. The biggest mistake we made was trying to do too much too soon. A few of us all working for free literally did everything from web and product design, packing and shipping, social media, artist relations; we even traveled to a remote part of Indonesia called Gunung Kidul. Our small team tried to do a huge water project with no outside help, just us and the community. The Gunung Kidul project didn’t work out, but we tried!

We found ourselves competing for donations with other NPO’s who are all doing really inspiring work in the water sector. It made more sense for us to team up with these amazing organizations who are also dedicated to this urgent cause. So from now on, charity: water’s local partners on the ground will implement all of the projects we fund. They know the terrain, the communities and most importantly, know what they are doing.

This awesome platform that the charity: water team has worked hard to create, will now accept all donations from BNE supporters around the world. Funds that we raise from selling environmentally responsible products and art will also be donated here.

Imagine if you had no clean water. Imagine walking hours to the nearest river to collect water for your family — water that’s not even clean. Imagine giving that water to your kids. While this might seem unimaginable to us, it’s a reality for about 780 million people in developing countries.

Please get involved and help us provide an Ethiopian community in need with access to clean safe drinking water.

100% of the money we raise will go directly to water project costs, funding long-lasting clean water solutions for people in need. When the projects are successfully completed, we will show you the exact communities we’ve helped using photos and GPS coordinates.

Please join us and and help give clean water!

Team BNE

Risk is a Los Angeles based artist and graffiti legend. Over three decades, Risk’s undeniable impact on Los Angeles has echoed all over the world. As an innovator of writing on “Heavens” or freeway overpasses, Risk began a dialog with his surrounding community. Now as a father of four, the desire to create still burns deep within him but the message has a new aim. Risk wants to uplift and evoke emotion using the rawest form of his craft… color. In this new film by Todd Mazer, Risk travels into LA’s Skid Row with the goal of brightening up the bleakest of surroundings.

Risk was generous enough to donate the below three prints to support our fight against the world water and sanitation crisis.

These prints are available for purchase in our online gallery.

In the next few days, fellow clean water NPO, charity:water are collecting necessary items from residents of NYC and delivering them to families hardest-hit by Hurricane Sandy. The drop-off center opened YESTERDAY, NOVEMBER 6 at 10:00 AM., and they need your help. If you are able to donate any of the following items, please drop them off at the location below.

LOCATION:
Soho Grand Hotel
310 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013

DROP OFF TIMES:
10:00AM-7:00PM

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

*All products must be new; gently used clothing.

Socks – wool, thick
Dust masks
Waterproof shoes / rain boots
Gloves – latex
Flashlights
Extension cords
Push brooms
Mops
Batteries (D batteries mainly)
Toilet paper
Cleaning equipment
Heavy duty garbage bags
Baby care products
Baby formula
Diapers
Towels
Blankets
Beanies
Warm woolen clothes
Shovels

You can also go to FreshDirect.com and order food for The Bowery Mission @ 227 Bowery, NY, NY 10002 or call (212) 796-8002!

While in Indonesia doing our first water project, I met a middle aged homeless artist named Pak Nur who uses his art to spread messages about corrupt politics and other social ills. My friend Shaz and I made this quick video to share his art and his story with the world. Pak Nur is the epitome of what it means to be a REAL street artist.

This painting is the story of two women from Mr Nur’s past.

Sleeping quarters under a bridge.

I asked Mr Nur if the women’s faces on the poles near his sleeping area were also from his past. He said no, he just likes to see flowers and a beautiful woman’s face when he wakes up.

Paint brush tied to a stick with a discarded bicycle inner tube.

E-mails like these always make our day and give us a reason to keep going. Thanks for caring Danny!

Hello BNE Water,

My name is Danny Estrada, a graphic artist out of Los Angeles, California. I personally wanted to reach you guys to thank you for creating such a wonderful and important movement. I’ve been designing for about 10 years professionally now for numerous skateboarding companies globally. I’d like to extend my services to you guys and donate my time to design some work if you’re interested (no cost, 100% donation). Please feel free to check out my website to preview some of the work I’ve done in the past: Once again, I thank you for not only creating this project, but for re instilling my faith in humanity. Get at me anytime…

Peace & Love =STAY UP=

- Danny

The September issue of Eyescream (Japanese fashion/art mag), features a four page interview with our founder, BNE. This interview is part of a larger 50 page article that also highlights Ryan McGinley (artist), Tommy Guerrero (skater/musician), QN (MC), Kyohei Sakaguchi (architect/philosopher/singer), Shion Sono (film director), Kenji Kobashi (actor), Toshiaki Toyoda (film director), Maywa-denki(artist), John Lennon, Bob Marley, Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Dennis Hopper and John Cassavetes.

Thanks to Eyescream for helping us spread the word about our work!