Day Without Art falls on is on December 1st, coinciding with World AIDS Day. Since its inception in America in 1989, Day Without Art Day has marked the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the artistic community and documented efforts in fighting AIDS.
Did you know on Day Without Art Day, artists and art institutions shut their doors, dim the lights, and shroud their works, replacing them with posters and facts about AIDS. Others screen films and documentaries for audiences online and in theaters. Day Without Art is also a day of mourning as memorials are a standard part of proceedings.
As a mom I am sure AIDS isn’t something you would want to teach your children about but it’s better to prepare them about things happening in the world around us. Which is why I started teaching about #Aids when he was little.
I don’t know about your family but Aids touched our lives in my mid twenties when my Cousin Jon Michael died of Aids from a #bloddtrnsfusiion. John Michael was also Gay and he could have gotten aids from it but this time if was from a transfusion. Come and let’s educate everyone we love about Day Without Art Day and what it means to others.
Did you know Day Without Art began on December 1, 1989. This was a year after Suzzane passed away from a car accident. Visual AIDS, an organization founded in 1988 by Robert Atkins, writer and art critic, and three curators: Gary Garrels, Thomas Sokolowski, and William Olander introduced this observation. Visual AIDS brought together the arts and AIDS communities through national projects and Day Without Art was one of these projects.
Day Without Art Day was envisioned as a day of mourning and action, involving hundreds of art organizations and institutions in a rallying call to display the power of art in raising awareness. Over 800 Art Galleries, Museums, and Institutions in the U.S. covered up their displays, replacing them with posters educating people about HIV and safe sex.
Artists and curators conducted memorials and readings, including visual arts exhibitions and performances. They celebrated the achievements and lives of colleagues and friends they had lost to AISs, encouraging better care for patients and support to discover a cure.
Visual AIDS used posters in the early days of its campaign to increase publicity for Day Without Art Day. They also used memorial quilts, which helped get the public involved. The movement’s inclusivity was a novel approach when most of the U.S. were either aloof or biased against people with AIDS. The stigma made it difficult to hold conversations about the topic.
The Arts community was one of the few that acknowledged the AIDS epidemic and its effect on cultural life. Through Day Without Art Day, Visual AIDS became one of the first national initiatives dedicated to fighting AIDs and supporting patients. More than 30 years later, Visual AIDS continues with its Day Without Art Day projects in what is now a global movement involving thousands of artists and members of the public.
Important Facts About AIDS
- Did you know AIDS is the number one killer of women aged below 50 years? I didn’t know this and neither did David or Charlie making this a #teachingmoment.
- Globally, around 37 million people live with HIV/AIDS, matching almost the entire population of Canada.
- Nearly 1,000 young women are infected daily with HIV/AIDS, amounting to 40 women per hour.
- Young women in sub-Saharan Africa are twice as likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS than young men.
- The cost of Antiretroviral treatment dropped from $10,000 annually to just $75. Thank the LORD because now more people can pay to get help.
Why Day Without Art Day is Important
- Though the medical fraternity and the world, in general, have come a long way in the care and treatment of AIDS, there’s still a lot of work to do. Addressing the underlying issues that exacerbate the problem, including Homophobia, racism, and poverty, must also be a part of the movement. Beyond raising awareness and honoring the lives of the AIDS community, Day Without Art Day is committed to advocacy so that persons affected by Aids can get the social, economic, and political support they deserve.
- Art is a powerful tool for bringing people together for a cause. It’s inclusive, accessible, and most importantly, it’s public. A poster increasing awareness and teaching safe sex is something everyone can understand and learn from, regardless of their background or demographic.
- AIDS has been with us for so long that most people are either indifferent or get fatigued by any mention of Aids. A Day Without Art Day keeps the conversation on AIDS going in a unique and thought-provoking way. There’s no limit to how you can express the message and spirit of this holiday.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
