Krannert Art Museum will be taking part in a worldwide recognition of World AIDS Day November 30th and December 1st, by offering the community the opportunity to engage with series of short films entitled “Alternate Ending, Activist Risings.” The annual “Day With(out) Art” event is put together by Visual AIDS — an organization that, according to their website, “utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.” The six films that will be screened will highlight the continuing effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and how art is used to further AIDS advocacy.
VOCAL (Voices of Community Activists & Leaders) for Visual AIDS’ Day With(out) Art 2018 ALTERNATE ENDINGS, ACTIVIST RISINGS
You will have a couple of opportunities to engage with the films. November 30th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and December 1st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the films will be shown on a continuous loop on the Response Wall in the Main Lobby of Krannert Art Museum.
In addition, The Art Theater will screen the films beginning at noon on December 1st, and a panel discussion will follow. It will feature:
- Mike Benner, Executive Director, Greater Community AIDS Project
- Kate Donaldson, Sexuality Educator & Peer Education Coordinator, McKinley Health Center
- Nancy Johnson, HIV Prevention Program Coordinator, Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
- Ryan Wade, School of Social Work, University of Illinois
- Amy L. Powell, curator of modern and contemporary art, Krannert Art Museum (moderator)
Wade, whose research in part looks specifically at how gay and bisexual men of color are affected by the disease, points out the importance of examining the epidemic through an artistic lens. “Artistic representation of the epidemic and how it’s affecting our communities should have a place, and I’m eager to see how it’s manifested,” he said. “Art is emotion and passion, and we need emotion and passion to confront the epidemic.”
The film screenings are free and open to all, and seem to be an important way to spend a bit of your time this weekend.
I highly suggest heading to KAM’s event page to learn more about the organizations involved in the films.