Hi, my name is Irene and I’m raising funds for my dear friend Bryan Smith. He's an artist through and through, and someone you might know as the guy with the best smile at the Silverlake Trader Joe’s.
Bryan is a street photographer whose work has always been about giving others a voice. He moved to New York with just $300 and a camera and went on to document the raw reality of inequality, protest movements, and everyday life. He played a key role in Occupy Wall Street, helping feed thousands daily, running supply lines, and capturing it all through his lens.
Photography didn’t just give Bryan purpose, it gave him life. While living unhoused in Los Angeles, Bryan lost everything. His tent, his gear, and over seven years of photographic work - including negatives, hard drives, and irreplaceable images, were stolen from him by the city.
Even after a near-fatal motorcycle accident, financial mishaps, and a recent diagnosis of lung disease, he’s still committed to his passion for art.
We’re raising funds to help Bryan:
- Replace his stolen phone and camera gear
- Return home to New York
- Cover survival needs
- Rebuild the foundation to continue his work in social justice, documentary photography, and community resilience
This isn’t about charity, it’s about getting an artist the tools he needs to keep telling the stories that matter. If you’ve ever seen Bryan’s work or stopped to have a conversation with him, you know how much this means; not just to him, not just to me, but the whole community.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting <3
Organizer
Irene Lee
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA