Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Chicago Tribune; Monday, December 1, 1997
Achy Obejas, Tribune Staff Writer.
And at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, lights will be lowered throughout the galleries.
Terrence Karpowicz's 8-foot wood-and-stone piece, "On the Edge of Awakening," currently on display at the Vedanta Gallery, will also be draped in black -- even though Vedanta will be closed.
Also closed will be the cafe at the University of Chicago's Smart Museum. "We will cover a piece in one of the windows to show concern and raise awareness," said Carl Hammer, whose self-named gallery sits in the heart of the city's gallery district.
Throughout Chicago, these art organizations and many others will join with more than 1,000 groups across the country to commemorate the ninth annual Day Without Art, in accordance with World AIDS Day.
Other Chicago activities include an eight-hour vigil at the Chicago Cultural Center, where each hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. will feature a 15-minute dance, poetry or music performance followed by 45 minutes of silence. At Randolph Street Gallery, artists will participate in a daylong "Internet action." Anyone wishing to join in may do so at www.creativetime.org/dwa
Many galleries, however, will not observe Day Without Art this year because they are normally closed on Mondays. Other longtime supporters of the day, such as N.A.M.E., which traditionally featured an AIDS-related event, have closed permanently in the last year.
Day Without Art was conceived in 1989 to dramatize the impact of AIDS on the arts world, as artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Michael Bennett, Freddie Mercury and thousands of others died at what seemed the height of their creative prowess.
Even though new medications are prolonging the lives of people with AIDS, the arts community continues to suffer dramatic losses. Last year, Nigerian singer Fela and novelist Harold Brodkey succumbed to AIDS. Closer to home, Chicago experienced the AIDS-related deaths of Michael Gonzales, who founded the American Danz Theater, actor Joey Meyer, musician Timothy Zimmerman and longtime Lyric Opera chorus member John Giles, among others.
But while deaths may be down, the rate of infection is clearly up. The United Nations reported last week that approximately 30 million people worldwide are living with the virus, with about 16,000 infected each day.
According to city and state data, about 25,000 people in the Chicago area are living with HIV and AIDS -- an 11 percent increase over last year. There have been 17,000 reported AIDS-related deaths to date in Illinois.
"(Because of the new medications) there's a widespread public misunderstanding that a cure is around the corner," says Karen Fishman, executive director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "But many people are not benefiting, and most people don't have access to the drug. For those people who are living longer, the care is enormously expensive."
Copyright 1997/The Chicago Tribune. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Chicago Tribune, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
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