featured gallery for November 2002

Souls On Line

The AIDS crisis touches the lives of everyone. One significant way it affects our lives is a proliferation of art by people affected by the virus. In many instances finding out one has contracted this chronic illness has produced artists out of people whose lives were on completely different paths. In other instances the voice of the artist changes to produce a critical and dynamic new voice that forces its way to be heard.

As a curator I had few instances to view work that embodies this much honesty and passion. Sifting through mountains of slides I could almost feel each artist's story. The work that I've chosen is that work that affected me most intimately -- that work which seemed the most primal and defiant of the disease. These artists have my gratitude for being open with their expression and willingness to share their lives with us. Thank you.

Curator

Danny Simmons

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Danny Simmons is an artist, collector, and philanthropist. His paintings have been shown nationally and are included in the collections of The Schomburg Center for Black Culture, Montclair State University, the United Nations, and Chase Manhattan Bank. He is an avid collector of African classical/functional and international contemporary art, and also collects comic books. Simmons is the founder and Vice-President of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a non-profit organization with a focus in arts-in-education for children. He is also the founder and President of the Rush Arts Gallery, showcasing the work of established and emerging artists. In addition, Simmons converted part of his loft in Brooklyn into the Corridor Gallery which serves as an adjunct exhibition space to Rush Arts Gallery.