This World Aids Day, join ICA and more than 8,000 organizations nationwide in an annual campaign to draw attention to the work of artists living with HIV/AIDS and art about AIDS. During gallery hours, boogie to Visual AIDS’s disco-infused Spotify playlist and read fierce pussy’s For the Record posters, which express thoughts about those who have passed away. Mazzoni Center, Philadelphia’s only dedicated LGBTQ healthcare service, will provide materials about AIDS.
PARTICIPANTS
fierce pussy is a collective of queer women artists working in New York City. Formed in 1991, the members of fierce pussy came together through their shared involvement in AIDS activism. During a decade of increasing political mobilization around gay rights, fierce pussy brought lesbian identity and visibility directly into the streets with posters, stickers, t-shirts, and various public interventions. They have continued to engage in a reclaiming of language and public space with installations and exhibitions in galleries and museums. Originally composed of a fluid and often shifting cadre of dykes, four of the original core members, Nancy Brooks Brody, Joy Episalla, Zoe Leonard, and Carrie Yamaoka, continue to work together.
Mazzoni Center is the only health care provider in the Philadelphia region specifically targeting the unique health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Founded in 1979, it is the oldest AIDS service organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the fourth oldest in the nation. As the organization grew and evolved to meet the needs of its constituents, Mazzoni Center has combined HIV/AIDS-related services and health services, with over 30,000 individuals benefiting annually from its services.
Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS IS NOT OVER. Visual AIDS is the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness through producing and presenting visual art projects, while assisting artists living with HIV/AIDS. The organization is committed to preserving and honoring the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement.
Excursus I: Ribbon BeeBackstory: 13 years of HIV/AIDS on WikipediaUnleashing The Archive: A World Aids Day EventExcursus I: Reference Library—Up on My Back, and I Will Take You Thither
