Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.

"There were conflicting responses to AIDS when it hit. Fear. Blame. Homophobia. Guilt. Denial. A sense of doom. There were also heartwarming offers of care, often from strangers. Quilts. Ribbons. Memorials. Banding together. And running away. Some who were sick withdrew, some partied. Some said good bye and tidied things up, some maxed their cards and danced. Some got sicker and sicker while friends either vanished or attended, and wept. Some took their lives alone or with the help of others who hated what they were asked to do. Confusion. Despair. Hope. Anger. Activism. Protest. Exhaustion. Enormous sadness. It was a very hard time, when we learned a lot about truth and love. Thank god for the art." Philip Yenawine
Browse Work In The Artist Registry
Oct 24, 2024
Announcement

Announcing: Finding Aids for the Visual AIDS Archive

In early 2024, Visual AIDS hired our first full-time Community Archivist. An integral part of the Visual AIDS team, Jacs Rodriguez holds a Master of Library and Information Sciences degree from Pratt Institute and has worked to increase access to the holdings of the Visual AIDS Archive. In this post, Jacs announces two new finding aids they created this fall. → Read More
Oct 2, 2024
Journal

Let's Imagine the Cure Together: Positiva Residency

Earlier this year, nine artists from Latin American came together in Quito, Ecuador as part of the second edition of Positiva Residency, organized in collaboration with Quito’s Centro de Arte Contemporáneo (CAC) and MovHIlizate. Karla Vera, a member of the Positiva team, reports on the project. → Read More
Sep 18, 2024
Journal

Uncovering

Keiko Lane reflects on the artwork of her friend Cory Roberts-Auli (1963–1996), whose collaborative paintings often used blood as an artistic medium. One of these haunting works is featured on the cover of Lane's memoir Blood Loss: A Love Story of AIDS, Activism, and Art, out this week from Duke University Press. → Read More

Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS is the only arts organization fully committed to raising AIDS awareness and creating dialogue around HIV issues today, by producing and presenting visual art projects, exhibitions, public forums and publications - while assisting artists living with HIV/AIDS. We are committed to preserving and honoring the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement.

Staff

Kyle Croft
Executive Director

Shawn Escarciga
Development Director

Blake Paskal
Programs Manager

Jacs Rodriguez
Community Archivist



Board of Directors

Marguerite Van Cook, President

Carlos Gutierrez-Solana, Treasurer

Antonio Sergio Bessa

Nayland Blake

Jim Hodges

Mark Quigley