For Free Arts NYC, a non-profit organization providing arts education for the city’s underprivileged youth, artist Scott Campbell created a collaborative “karmic mentorship” inspired by the permanence of tattoos. The session was part of the Free Arts NYC Annual Auction, hosted by Marc Jacobs, who has an extensive collection of tattoos by Campbell and helped introduce his inky designs into the world of fashion. “Ten kids from the programme and 10 volunteers met up at the studio: after an afternoon of telling their stories, the kids drew their names on the volunteers and I tattooed them on,” says the Louisiana-born creative. “Every time the volunteers look at the tattoo they consider the kid, and believe in them. It’s a nice reminder to be generous and not take yourself so seriously.”  The project evolved from the feeling of support and confidence that his friends gave him during the early days of his career in California. “When I first started tattooing I was just some kid in San Francisco until one of my buddies kept bugging me to tattoo him because he really liked my drawings,” he says with a self-deprecating tone that belies his celebrity client list that includes Josh Hartnett, Helena Christensen, and Penelope Cruz. “It catches you off guard sometimes, when people feel you're more capable than you believe you are. It made me want to be the person that he thought I was.” 

Scott Campbell and Marc Jacobs have collaborated on a book of temporary tattoos, sold at Bookmarc stores. Proceeds go to Free Arts NYC.