Worlds AIDS Day is this Wednesday, December 1, and it’s the time we pause and remember the millions who lost their lives, as well as supporting those who are living with HIV. Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, the community has pulled together annually to raise awareness and keep the fight going strong. Here are details on three events honoring Worlds AIDS Day 2021.
Beto Pérez, In the Future, 2021. Commissioned by Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art 2021. Still courtesy of Visual AIDS
Day With(out) Art
Visual AIDS, the contemporary art organization and HIV support group, is holding its 32nd annual Day With(out) Art to commemorate World AIDS Day. Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS uses art to raise awareness for issues associated with HIV, supports artists living with HIV. Entitled Enduring Care, this year’s hour-long program features the work of seven new artists and filmmakers, and centers the stories of real people living with HIV, and the care workers who provide much-needed support. Enduring Care attacks the assumption by some that HIV can be managed with drugs alone, instead showing it takes a community to care for its members most in need.
The NYC premiere of Enduring Care will take place at the Brooklyn Museum on Wednesday, December 1, at 6:00 p.m. The screening and conversation are presented in partnership with the Studio Museum in Harlem.
The Los Angeles screening of Enduring Care will take place on Saturday, December 4, at 4:00 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles. This special “hybrid” screen event will be followed by a talkback with artists J Triangular, Danny Kilbride, and Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad.
Enduring Care will also visit cities across the globe for over 100 additional screenings including Philadelphia, St. Louis, and San Antonio, as well as internationally at Barcelona in Spain, Istanbul in Turkey, and Tokyo, Japan, among others. You can learn more about Visual Aids 32nd annual Day With(out) Art, including how to visit in person or streaming options, at visualaids.org/dwa2021 or @visual_AIDS.
The Wall Las Memorias
+Life Media is partnering with The Wall Las Memorias (TWLM) to live stream the unveiling and rededication ceremony of The Wall Las Memorias in Los Angeles. Presented by Gildead, the special event will feature live musical performances, presentations by several distinguished guests, and a special candlelight ceremony.
“The Wall Las Memorias AIDS Monument shares our mission of uplifting those living with HIV and working towards eradicating stigma and, ultimately, eradicating the disease. We are honored to be part of this important event and bring it to a global audience for World AIDs Day,” said Karl Schmid, +Life Media.
TWLM is dedicated to supporting the Latin0, LGBTQ+, and other traditionally marginalized and underrepresented communities. The community health and wellness organization uses advocacy and education in its outreach to low-income folks dealing with issues of mental health, substance abuse, transgender women and nonbinary health and wellness, and building the next generation of enlightened leaders. +Life Media is a multi-platform brand that features resources, and +LifeTV, a weekly lifestyle series featuring celebrity interviews, motivational stories from real people, and useful health and wellness segments. You can learn more about The Wall Las Memorias at thewalllasmemorias.org and @the_wall_las_memorias. You can learn more about +Life Media, including live streams of the unveiling and rededication at pluslifemedia.com and @pluslifemedia.
The New York City AIDS Memorial
The New York City AIDS Memorial will also be hosting a number of events to observe World AIDS Day and honor the fifth anniversary of the space's public dedication at Greenwich Ave & West 12th Street. The commemation begins with Words of Remembrance at 5 PM, featuring a reading of works by ten New Yorkers living with HIV of those we've lost to AIDS including Paul Monette, Essex Hemphill, Iris de la Cruz, and Mary Bowman.
The evening continues with the 30th Annual Out of the Darkness at 6 PM. This year the annual candlelight vigil is co-presented with the American Run for the End of AIDS (AREA), ERC Consultants, GMHC, International AIDS Prevention Initiative (IAPI), Keith Haring Foundation, New York City AIDS Memorial, and St. Johns Lutheran Church.
The gathering will proceed from the Memorial to St. John's Lutheran Church at 81 Christopher Street for a Time of Reflection and a Reading of Names of Those Lost to AIDS at 6:30 PM, and a gathering with special guest speakers beginning at 7PM.
I BELIEVE IN FAIRIES is an installation of 250 hand-blown and engraved votive candles designed by internationally renowned French sculptor, Jean-Michel Othoniel, to remember those lost to AIDS, the glass candle holders will be lit and arranged at the New York City AIDS Memorial in the West Village throughout our World AIDS Day programs. These objects are intended as a gift to the community attending our events and will be free for attendees to take home with them after the vigil.
All of the World AIDS Day events at the NYC memorial are free and open to the public.
