Update 4/21/20: The Pictures from Elmhurst print fundraiser closed on April 20. Over the course of just 10 days, the 187 participating photographers raised $1,380,000 for Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens. The story below has been updated to reflect the final outcome of the fundraiser.

A group of photographers has raised nearly $1.4 million for Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York, one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 outbreak. By selling unsigned, limited edition 8.5×11-inch prints for $150, the 187 photographers participating in the Pictures For Elmhurst fundraiser generated much-needed funds for the hospital to purchase essential supplies and equipment to help patients and the healthcare workers who are on the front lines of fighting the pandemic in New York City.

[Read a breakdown of some of the COVID-19-related resources available to photographers A Photographer’s Guide to Navigating the Stimulus Bill, Cancellations and More.]

The fundraiser, which ended on April 20, was launched on April 10 with the work of 96 photographers. On April 16, halfway through the fundraising period, the organization added the work of an additional 91 photographers. By that point, Pictures For Elmhurst had raised more that $370,000. During the second half of the fundraiser, the organization tripled that amount, thanks to the collective energy of the photographers and the generosity of their communities and networks. The participating photographers included many of the most recognizable names in commercial and fine-art photography.

Elmhurst Hospital Center helps underserved people, said a hospital spokesperson in a statement. “Our staff has responded to the needs of all who come through our door…. The work is exhausting, frightening, and emotional, yet we come in every day willing to make a difference and save as many lives as we can. Words cannot describe the support that we feel from this community of artists who have come together for the greater good. Lives will be saved and staff will be protected and supported through this work.”

Photographer Samantha Casolari initiated the fundraiser and collaborated with peers Jody Rogac, Vittoria Cerciello, Stefan Dufgran and Matthew Booth to make it a reality. Casolari, who is from Italy but is now based in New York City, says she was inspired to create Pictures For Elmhurst after she participated in a similar fundraiser for Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy, which raised more than 725,000 Euros in 10 days. “The project was extremely successful, so I wanted to repeat it here for Elmhurst Hospital Center, which is at the center of the pandemic in New York City and in dire need of support,” Casolari said. “The support from the photo community has been overwhelming; it’s beautiful to witness such generosity and see first -hand how much New Yorkers want to give back to their city.”

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