On Thursday, Dec. 1, Deborah Butterfield’s “Rex,” a bronze sculpture which stands at the entrance of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the U campus, will be shrouded in recognition of the World Health Organization’s World AIDS day.
“A Day With(out) Art,” as the day is called, is being observed by the UMFA along with countless other art institutions across the globe.
The initiative began in 1989 as the AIDS epidemic swept through the United Sates, with 100,000 confirmed cases nationwide. In response to the worsening state of affairs, Visual AIDS, an artistic organization attempting to improve dialogue and knowledge about the AIDS epidemic, launched this yearly tribute.
The idea is to underline the loss and the toll this disease has caused on a very personal level while simultaneously honoring artistic legacies that have been tragically cut short. Visual AIDS described their “Day With(out) Art” initiative on their “About” page as a means to “celebrate the lives and achievements of lost colleagues and friends; encourage caring for all people with AIDS; educating diverse publics about HIV infection; and finding a cure ”
By shrouding Deborah Butterfield’s work, the UMFA hopes to garner attention by underlining the abnormality of a covered work of art and reminding us that HIV/AIDS is still an important subject – one which has certainly not disappeared over time, even as the panic surrounding it has lessened.
The UMFA also chose this specific sculpture because it enabled them to take part in World AIDS Day without the need to use their galleries, which are currently being remodeled. Last year the UMFA covered Cyrus Edwin Dallin’s “The Scout,” a bronze sculpture of a Native American on horseback. This year’s statement will be seen by many, since the installation is located in a high-traffic campus zone, visible simply passing by the museum – there’s no need to enter the building itself. The museum is northwest of the TRAX red line’s South Campus Drive station. Make sure to include it into your daily commute across campus this coming Thursday to remind yourself of the importance of this “Day With(out) Art.”
Additionally, The Utah Film Center will be taking part in this event by hosting a sing-along of the AIDS discussion-heavy film “Rent” on Dec. 1. Admission is free and the screening will take place at the Salt Lake City Public Library at 3-5:15 p.m. Adapted from Broadway for the big screen, “Rent” tells the story of a group of bohemians living in New York City in 1989 and documents their struggles with sexuality, drugs and, most importantly, living in a time when the AIDS crisis was reaching its peak.
If you can’t make it to this screening, there will be two additional free screenings of different films pertaining to AIDS. Beginning at 6 p.m., “Blood Brothers” will be screened, followed by “Remembering the Man” at 8:30 p.m. Both these film showings will also take place at the SLC Public Library.
Whatever your schedule this Thursday, make sure to take full advantage of the wealth of events happening in the SLC metropolitan area on this year’s World AIDS Day.
Image of the covered Dallin sculpture courtesy of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
The UMFA has included the link to the World AIDS Day website to further explain the debilitating illness, as well as the direct link to their donation page, both of which are included below.
https://www.nowdonate.com/checkout/27r982gmic0b31oj2v0z
“A Day With(out) Art” official logo attributed to Visual AIDS.
@daanielsonn