Ringling
Ringling
Museum Carl Tandatnick
On December 1, 1993, the fifth annual Day Without Art, international artists, community members, print and radio personnel, teachers and local Sarasota area high school students gathered in the courtyard of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. This gathering brought diverse individuals together to educate, mourn and call to action in response to the AIDS crisis.
As part of the statement to encourage awareness of the AIDS epidemic, the statues in the courtyard and on the grounds were blindfolded. The act of blindfolding sent a symbolic message, a reminder of the danger of being uninformed and acting in ignorance to AIDS. During the program the blindfolds were removed to represent seeing or knowing through education, and therefore progress in the fight against AIDS. The blindfolds were designed and created by Florida high school students and submitted along with awareness statements. This information appeared on the back of the announcement postcard which featured an image of the painting showing the electron-microscope view of the AIDS virus attacking a white blood cell.
I was honored to speak to the gathering from my perspective both as a physician and an artist. The large number of high school students in attendance was especially meaningful as they are the new generation that must carry the torch of AIDS awareness.
On December 1, 1993, the fifth annual Day Without Art, international artists, community members, print and radio personnel, teachers and local Sarasota area high school students gathered in the courtyard of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. This gathering brought diverse individuals together to educate, mourn and call to action in response to the AIDS crisis.
As part of the statement to encourage awareness of the AIDS epidemic, the statues in the courtyard and on the grounds were blindfolded. The act of blindfolding sent a symbolic message, a reminder of the danger of being uninformed and acting in ignorance to AIDS. During the program the blindfolds were removed to represent seeing or knowing through education, and therefore progress in the fight against AIDS. The blindfolds were designed and created by Florida high school students and submitted along with awareness statements. This information appeared on the back of the announcement postcard which featured an image of the painting showing the electron-microscope view of the AIDS virus attacking a white blood cell.
I was honored to speak to the gathering from my perspective both as a physician and an artist. The large number of high school students in attendance was especially meaningful as they are the new generation that must carry the torch of AIDS awareness.
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