9th Annual Postcards From the Edge Visual AIDS Benefit Preview Party Friday December 1, 2006 Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Written by Wendy R. Williams Photographed by Yosra El-Essawy www.yosra.co.uk

New York Cool photographer Yosra El-Essawy was a participating artist in the 9th Annual Postcards From the Edge benefit and she attended the preview party on December 1st at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. where she got these images. It was a sneak peek night with no postcard sales. But the $75 admission did include one raffle ticket ($25 each for additional raffle ticket) and the winner got to choose any postcard as a prize. During the evening there was also a silent auction of artworks by Barton Lidice Benes, Nan Goldin, Jenny Holzer and Richard Renaldi.

From December 2nd-3rd, 2006, over one thousand postcards were for sale at Visual AIDS, 526 West 26th Street, Suite 510, New York. The postcards were displayed for bid without any artist's name. The potential buyers did have a list of participating artists, but they didn't know who created a piece until and unless they purchased it. (If I were a famous artist, I would have drawn a pig-in-a-poke just for the fun of it.) All proceeds from the sale benefited Visual AIDS, which promotes AIDS awareness through the visual arts and provides direct services to artists living with HIV/AIDS. Email info@visualAIDS.org for more information.

The Partygoers Await the Results of the Raffle

Bid Card for the Silent Auction of the Nan Goldin Postcard

Yosra El-Essawy's Postcard


The Charming Bartenders Show Their Holiday Spirits


Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
530 West 22nd Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)