International Bozos

Clowns are scary. Especially in the parking lot of a shopping center in the suburbs as your mom waits in an SUV.

But to countless kids who've seen some truly frightening things, clowns like the ones who comprise Clowns Without Borders are like drunken angels... saints, even, who put a smile on the faces of those who need it most.

Tomorrow night City Council President Eric Garcetti will host an art opening + reception of photographs by Ellen van den Bouwhuysen who documented the work of Project Njabulo's Clowns Without Borders, a troupe that visits children around the world in regions in crisis.

Clowns Without Borders has performed in front of children with HIV/AIDS in Africa, sick kids in Nepal, and those devistated by Hurricane Katrina. The press release says, "They performed over 130 times for more than 45,000 children in school halls, football fields, township streets, churches, drop-in centers, hillsides, hospitals, and children’s homes. Many of these children live in orphan-led households with little or no means of support. They suffer from isolation, hunger, poverty, and psychological depression."

The art opening tomorrow night is at 7pm at Garcetti Field Office, 5500 Hollywood Boulevard, Fourth Floor.

Perfect place to try out your new joy buzzer.

Photo by Ellen van den Bouwhuysen via Flickr