November 24, 2003

Art Project Marks AIDS Day on University of Rochester Campus

Several University of Rochester groups are collaborating on an art installation to draw attention to the continuing AIDS crisis.

The students will be hanging several hundred yards of clothesline and black mourning clothes throughout the atrium of Wilson Commons, the student center on the River Campus, to mark "Day With(out) Art/World AIDS Day." The installation will be on display when the building opens at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, until 5 p.m. that afternoon.

"Day Without Art" began in 1989 as a national day of mourning for the AIDS victims, with hundreds of arts institutions either sponsoring special exhibits or closing their facilities and sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services for the day. In 1997, the event became a "Day with Art" to promote cultural programming as a way of increasing awareness of the continuing epidemic. More than 8,000 museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS service organizations, libraries, high schools, and colleges around the world now take part in the event.

In addition to the Hartnett Art Gallery Committee, students from Pride Network and the Women's Caucus will be working on the installation the evening of Sunday, Nov. 30. They will also be staffing an AIDS information table during the exhibit on Monday. For more information, contact the Hartnett Gallery (585) 275-4188.