Black paper shrouded art display cases in the Union Monday morning in observance of World AIDS Day.
The practice of shrouding began in the late 1980s, when AIDS became an international epidemic. World AIDS Day takes places Dec. 1.
“Since World AIDS Day falls on a Saturday, we held the events the week before,” said Zack Wahlquist, Union Board director.
Events such as the shrouding will follow throughout the week as Union Programs hosts World AIDS Day and Diversity Week celebrations in the Union this week.
Although World AIDS Day typically starts off Diversity Week, this year, the week will end with World AIDS Day.
“But not all of [the switch] was timing. People from all populations face AIDS as an epidemic,” Wahlquist said.
World AIDS Day is an observance of people who have died from AIDS, and a forum to spread awareness of AIDS.
“It’s important to put out information. Statistically, college kids are the most at risk to get AIDS,” said Freddy Rodriguez, Union Programs committee member.
“When people first became aware of AIDS, many of the people who died were involved in the humanities, and the shrouding of the art represents what would have been given to the world by artists who died of AIDS,” said Ryck Luthi, associate Union director.
Union Programs has shrouded Union art for at least eight years, according to Luthi.
In the past, Union Programs has taped black paper in the Union Gallery windows. That didn’t happen this year because the artist will only show his work for a couple of weeks, and Union Programs did not feel it was fair to shroud his work during that time, Luthi said.
However, the gallery will most likely be shrouded for one day this week, as well as the large painting in the Union lobby, Rodriguez said.
The U has celebrated Diversity Week and World AIDS Day as official events for three years, Wahlquist said.
Diversity Week is a celebration of the many different ethnicities found at the University of Utah.
“The week celebrates diversity at the U because there is a lot of it here,” Rodriguez said.
Although the two celebrations are separate, events spreading awareness about both will take place each day.
Events such as blood drives, international food buffets, student organization fairs and movie screenings will take place all week.