On Alvin Baltrop, Raynes Birkbeck, Reverend Joyce McDonald, and Frederick Weston

On Alvin Baltrop, Raynes Birkbeck, Reverend Joyce McDonald, and Frederick Weston.
in conjunction with “Souls Grown Diaspora,” curated by Sam Gordon

Visual AIDS and apexart collaborated for an evening of short videos, readings, and conversation considering the work of Alvin Baltrop, Raynes Birkbeck, Reverend Joyce McDonald, and Frederick Weston, with Antonio Sergio Bessa.

Souls Grown Diaspora, curated by Sam Gordon for apexart, brings together the work of ten visionary African-American artists, tracing a line of events from the Great Migration through the Harlem Renaissance, to the contemporary art world of 2020.

Where does the AIDS crisis fall within Souls Grown Diaspora? How does living with HIV as an artist inform the work that is produced? This program focused on four artists from the exhibition whose lives and artwork have been deeply affected by AIDS.

Visual AIDS Artist+ Members Raynes Birkbeck, Reverend Joyce McDonald, and Frederick Weston each screened short videos and spoke about their work, while curator Antonio Sergio Bessa reflected on the photographs of Alvin Baltrop.

This event was presented in collaboration with apexart, a non-profit arts organization in Lower Manhattan that offers opportunities to curators and emerging and established artists, while challenging set ideas about culture, art, exhibitions, and curation through exhibitions, fellowships, publications, and public programs.