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MEDIA CONTACT: Helene Snihur hsnihur@rochester.edu
585.275.7800
November 17, 2006
To mark this year's World AIDS Day, a series of events exploring some of the major issues and challenges of the AIDS epidemic will be held at the University of Rochester.
Groups from the University of Rochester Medical Center and from the College of Arts, Science, and Engineering on River Campus will join members of the greater Rochester community in collaborative efforts to raise HIV and AIDS awareness. Participating groups include the HIV Vaccine Trials Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital, the River Campus Health Promotion Office, the Humanities Project at the University of Rochester, Hartnett Gallery, Global AIDS Interest Network (GAIN), the Action Front Center of Action for a Better Community (ABC), PeaceArt International, and AIDS Rochester Inc.
World AIDS Day was created in 1988 by the United Nations World Health Organization to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS as a global epidemic. Dr. Michael Keefer, principal investigator for the HIV Vaccine Trials Unit at the University of Rochester, noted, "This year's World AIDS Day marks the beginning of the first large-scale study of a preventive HIV vaccine on the African continent. It is a testament to the hundreds of healthy HIV-negative volunteers who have rolled up their sleeves to help and to the dedication of the Rochester community's collaborative efforts.
An exhibition reflecting changes in perceptions of AIDS will be on display in the Hartnett Gallery in Wilson Commons on the River Campus from Monday, Nov. 27, through Wednesday, Dec. 20. "Vision = Life: AIDS Posters from the Edward C. Atwater Collection" features selected posters from more than 29 countries that show different societies' understanding of sexuality and disease and raise questions about the politics of visibility. The posters are from the collection of Dr. Edward C. Atwater, a Western New York native who practiced medicine and taught at the University of Rochester Medical School for 37 years. An exhibition reception at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, in the Hartnett Gallery will feature Atwater and AA Bronson, a founding member of General Idea, an artists' collaborative which focused on AIDS-related projects for seven years. For more information, contact the gallery at (585) 275-4188.
Bronson will discuss the work of General Idea in an hour-long lecture at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, in the Gowen Room in Wilson Commons. He will speak about the seven-year-work of General Idea on AIDS-related projects and his own solo work since the deaths of his collaborators. Bronson is the current director of Printed Matter in New York City, a non-profit facility dedicated to the promotion of publications made by artists.
Other events include:
The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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