Selling Art to Feed Hungry Children

Pastor and photographer Todd Clark created Eat Art to turn photography and other artwork into meals for hungry children, with a goal of providing 1 million meals each year.

By Jennifer Taylor

October 24, 2011·2 min read

In brief

Todd Clark Eat Art: Turning Creativity into Meals for Hungry Children

Todd Clark Eat Art began as a way to turn photography and other creative work into meals for hungry children. The nonprofit sells artwork and directs proceeds toward rice meal packets distributed through The Children’s Hunger Fund.

Eat Art sells photographs, paintings, postcards, and apparel to help feed hungry children.
Sixty percent of each purchase sends rice meal packets overseas, while 40 percent covers printing and shipping.
Clark’s goal is to provide 1 million meals each year.

By Jennifer Taylor

Last year at Thanksgiving, Todd Clark surveyed the abundance of food and was convicted of the need to provide meals for hungry children. At the same time, people began asking how they could buy copies of the photographs he was shooting and sharing on Facebook. An idea was born.

“Photography is a hobby, not my livelihood,” says Clark, lead pastor at Discovery Church in Simi Valley, CA. “I wanted to use it to help others.”

Eat Art Turns Creativity into Meals

Last month he created Eat Art, a nonprofit organization that “artfully ends hunger” by selling photographs, paintings, postcards, and apparel and using the proceeds to feed hungry children in 10 countries. Six other artists and photographers joined the team for Eat Art’s kickoff, and on its first weekend more than 40 others asked to contribute their own pieces.

“The e-mails are sitting in my in-box waiting for me,” he said when we talked to him right after the launch. “I had no idea so many people would be interested!”

Partnering with The Children’s Hunger Fund

Eat Art partners with The Children’s Hunger Fund, a highly ranked charity that distributes food in 72 countries. Sixty percent of every Eat Art purchase sends rice meal packets overseas, and 40 percent goes to print and ship the art to the buyer. Neither Clark nor his small team of investors and directors takes a salary from the venture.

“Each rice packet costs just 5 or 10 cents,” Clark says. “So each piece of art we sell can feed hundreds of children.” His goal is to send 1 million meals each year.

Learn more, purchase art, and feed kids at www.eat-art.org.