Day Without Art - 1998: A DAY IN THE LIFE…(OF AIDS)

1998 marks the 10th anniversary of Day With(out) Art: A day of action and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis. Day Without Art has become "Day With(out) Art", adding the parenthesis to emphasize a day WITH art and highlight the proactive programming of art projects by artists living with HIV/AIDS, and art about AIDS, that are taking place around the world.

Day With(out) Art demonstrates the power of art to raise awareness of the ongoing AIDS pandemic. This year's events include:

A DAY IN THE LIFE...(OF AIDS), the national theme for this year's Day With(out) Art, is highlighted on Visual AIDS' new web site at hosted by thebody.com. A Day in the Life... gives personal stories and experiences of living with AIDS through journal entries made by people affected by AIDS from all over the world, including HIV/AIDS physicians, artists, AIDS service workers, caregivers and people who have lost a loved one. Visitors to the site are invited to leave their own diary entries to add to, and contextualize, the global story of HIV infection and its impact on our communities. The journal entries, which can be either searched by any keyword or randomly delivered, are a powerful record of living with AIDS.

Milton Garcia Latex's details of a day: "....9:00am- turn off t.v and listen to some cd's. Relax and draw while Grandma runs a few errands outside; Shave in the bathroom. Avoiding molluskum on my face caused by HIV. Hate it, but it must be treated...."

Leslie Kaliades' bared thoughts: "My mind is so fragile at times, the emptiness so deep. If you touched me the tears would burst out of every pore of my body- that is how close to the surface the sadness is. The lump in my throat silences me - afraid to speak for words would surely turn into cries."

Additional Day With(out) Art events will take place through the city and nationally.