Want guaranteed access to the Monster Pit when the Born This Way Ball comes to town? Lady Gaga has launched an official Monster Pit charity auction for a pair of GA floor tickets and passes to the Monster Pit for each stop of the tour in North America, benefitting Born This Way Foundation.

The auctions are open now and will close early next week, so bid quickly! For all of the details, head to the Lady Gaga page on Ticketmaster and see the ‘Official Monster Pit Auction’ link on the right side of the page. Bids can be placed on the Auction tab of each event listing on Ticketmaster. For the shows with tickets not sold on Ticketmaster (Philadelphia, Houston, Montreal, Kansas City, Portland and Tulsa), you can head to Charitybuzz to bid instead. Over 50% of the selling price of each auction package will be donated to Born This Way Foundation, to help creatie a kinder & braver world. Good luck!

Just ten weeks after the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that hit Japan in March 2011, Lady Gaga arrived in Tokyo. In an MTV Video Music Aid Japan-sponsored press event with U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos on June 23, 2011, she sipped from a ceramic teacup with the phrase “We pray for Japan” written in Japanese across the front. She spoke with the Ambassador and the media about her love for Japan and her desire to support and encourage the Japanese people. During the event she announced her intention to auction the teacup to help Japan.

Now, Lady Gaga is returning to Japan to keep her word. She will remind the world that Japan – particularly the younger generation – still needs our help. In addition to performing a concert, Lady Gaga will turn the words expressed on the teacup into action by auctioning off the cup on Yahoo! Japan Auctions starting from April 30, 2012 at 12:00pm to May 6, 2012 at 11:00pm. The online site for the auction is http://topic.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/charity/2011sanrikuoki_ms/post_166/index.html.

The winning bidder will not only receive the teacup, but will contribute to a greater cause.After the completion of the auction, one hundred percent of the funds generated will go to the TOMODACHI Arts Fellowship Program, which will be executed in partnership with an implementing organization.

The TOMODACHI Arts Fellowship Program will enable Japanese university students and young people the opportunity to pursue their artistic dreams by joining one year programs at specialized institutes in the United States in areas such as music, art, film, dance, song, theater, fashion, design, and digital media among others. It is part of TOMODACHI, a public-private partnership that supports Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and invests in the next generation of Japanese and Americans in ways that strengthen cultural and economic ties, and deepen the friendship between the United States and Japan over the long-term. A joint U.S.-Japan initiative, TOMODACHI is led by the United States Government and the U.S.-Japan Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is supported by the Japanese Government as well as corporations, organizations, and individuals from the United States and Japan. For more information, visit http://usjapantomodachi.org.

After recording “Lady Is a Tramp” for Tony Bennett’s newest album, Duets II, Lady Gaga posed for Bennett and Vanity Fair contributing photographer Annie Leibovitz in New York City. The resulting drawing and photograph can be seen exclusively in the January 2012 issue of Vanity Fair, available on newsstands now. You can own the original charoal drawing, an original print of the Vanity Fair cover photograph signed by Annie Leibovitz, or one of several other unique items from the Vanity Fair shoot.

All proceeds go to Tony Bennett’s charity, Exploring the Arts, and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.

Tony Bennett created this charcoal portrait of Lady Gaga using Prismacolor Premier Art vine Charcoal sticks working on Fabriano Artisico heavy weight watercolor paper. The portrait measures 18″ x 24″ and is signed by the artist, using his given name “Benedetto” which is how Tony Bennett signs his original artwork.

To view all the items for charity on Ebay, click here!

Barney’s New York launched the official Gaga’s Workshop website last night to promote the upcoming collaboration between Lady Gaga, Eli Sudbrack, Christophe Hamaide Pierson and Mugler Creative Director, Nicola Formichetti. Barney’s New York will dedicate an entire floor of its Madison Avenue store to Lady Gaga’s Workshop, which is set to be a modern interpretation of Santa’s Workshop.

Barney’s New York will be donating 25% of the proceeds made from all items sold in the Workshop to the Born This Way Foundation, a charity recently launched by Lady Gaga, focusing on youth empowerment and equality by addressing issues such as self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring, and career development.

Check out the official Gaga’s Workshop website to play games, win prizes, buy limited edition items and more.

Join Lady Gaga’s movement to create a brave new world by visiting bornthiswayfoundation.com.

Make sure to ‘Like’ Born This Way Foundation on Facebook and Follow @BTWFoundation on Twitter for updates.