featured gallery for June 2004

A Big Hairy Deal

For the month of June, Visual AIDS is proud to present an exhibition in conjunction with the A Big Hairy Deal Benefit.

A Big Hairy Deal Art Exhibit celebrates, seduces, and plays dress-up to discuss issues of gender, image identity, and beauty. Hair, fashion, and make-up both disguise and reveal cultural standards of femininity and masculinity. Luna Luis Ortiz, Hunter Reynolds, Robert Reed, Thom Markee, Bruce Volpone, Christopher Trujillo and Yolanda utilize representations of drag, camp, and fantasy to explore social gender prescriptions. John Dugdale, Arnold Fern and Mike Lee present nostalgic and idealized beauty, while JD Talasek, Derek Jackson, and Carmine Santaniello subtly twist such idealizations. Appearances of Pop Idols -- Madonna, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, Jane Fonda and Joan Crawford -- suggest the constant flux of beauty as imagined by Hollywood and national media. Barton Lidice Benes and Elliott Linwood incorporate human hair in their conceptual works to examine celebrity relics and historical taboos. With this diverse group exhibition, A Big Hairy Deal puts on its best face. A selection of artwork featured in this month's Web Gallery will also be exhibited at The Alice Band Salon and Spa from June 8-27, 2004. Additional works from the Archive Project will be digitally displayed during A Big Hairy Deal Benefit on Sunday, June 13 at Gallery Lounge.

A Big Hairy Deal Benefit is one of the hippest, hairiest fundraising events of the year. Guests can get beautiful with New York's top hair and make-up stylists with haircuts, make-up, and massages for a $40 donation to Visual AIDS. Appointments are first-come, first-served. While guests wait they can enjoy art, music by top DJs, drink specials, raffle prizes and mingle at the Gallery Lounge. A Big Hairy Deal has no cover charge, so come out and show your support!

Please join us!

DATE: Sunday, June 13, 2004 from 12:00 - 10:00 pm

PLACE: Beauty services at the Alice Band Salon and Day Spa, 233 5th Ave, 5th Fl at 27th St, and Party next door at Gallery Lounge, 7 East 27th St, NYC

BEAUTY: Haircuts, Makeovers and Massages for a $40 donation to Visual AIDS -- plus other beauty services. First come -- first served.

MUSIC: DJ Jackie Christie, DJ Sakaki, DJ Stephen Richards, DJ GOMI and special guests

ART: Visual AIDS Exhibition

PRIZES: Raffle of beauty and culture prizes

Admission is FREE.

All proceeds from A Big Hairy Deal benefit Visual AIDS. Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS strives to increase public awareness of AIDS through the visual arts. The Frank Moore Archive Project documents the work of artists with HIV/AIDS to ensure that their artistic legacy will be preserved, thereby safeguarding their place within art history. The Archive Project also facilitates the creation and presentation of new work and provides practical services to artists with HIV/AIDS, assisting in their pursuit of a professional career.

For more information on A Big Hairy Deal Exhibition and Benefit contact: Visual AIDS at (212) 627-9855 or info@visualAIDS.org.

Thank you

All of the wonderful hairdressers, makeup artists and masseuses who make this event possible.

Everyone at Alice Band Salon and Gallery Lounge

DJs: Jackie Christie, Sakaki, Stephen Richards, GOMI

Special thanks

E + R Events

4over4.com

Josephs Design

Q & A PR and Events

TheBody.com

Temptu

Patron

Letha Wilson

Benefit Committee: Annette Gallo, Alberto Machuca, Sarah Murkett, Josh Pushkin, Calum Stephenson and Stefanie Tjaden