Exhibit Shows the Faces of AIDS |
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The faces — and voices — of people living with AIDS will be on display in an unusual and moving exhibit running February 9–20 at Ithaca College’s Handwerker Gallery of Art. In a joint project with Cornell University, AIDSWORK of Tompkins County, and the Southern Tier AIDS Program, the gallery will show Project Face to Face, featuring facial castings and recorded oral histories of men, women, and children who have AIDS. Following its run at Ithaca College, the show will move to Cornell’s Willard Straight Hall Art Gallery, February 23–March 6. Both galleries are free and open to the public.
Dilley was inspired to create the exhibit by his experiences as a volunteer in a hospital ward for AIDS patients. By taking "life masks" of people with AIDS, taping their stories, and inviting viewers to interact "face to face," he hopes to foster an understanding of the personal nature of the disease. "There’s probably no other issue before us today that’s more difficult—or more important—to address than AIDS awareness," says Dilley. "The challenge has been how to relay the seriousness of the issue without turning off the audience who most needs to hear about it—young people. Project Face to Face meets that challenge by breathing life into an experience most Americans know only from one-dimensional newspaper articles and sensationalized talk shows." AIDSWORK and the Southern Tier AIDS Program will be training Ithaca College student volunteers to serve as educators for the facilitated viewings, to which local schools have been invited. Any individuals or organizations who would like to schedule a facilitated viewing should call (607) 275-3367 to make arrangements. The castings and recordings of the two local residents will become part of the Project Face to Face exhibit as it travels both around the country and throughout the world. "The people in this exhibit are of all different ages, races, genders, professions, and lifestyles," says Somma. "The one thing they have in common is that they are living with AIDS. The show can help people recognize that just as AIDS is everyone’s problem, its solution is something everyone must take part in achieving. "Without the two colleges and the community working together, there’s no way this exhibit could have come to Ithaca," adds Somma, who says a number of groups both on- and off-campus have contributed financial as well as logistical support. "The value of this kind of educational opportunity makes it all worthwhile, and it is something in which the entire community can be proud to have played a part." photos by Rick Vargas |
Created by San Francisco artist Jason Dilley, Project
Face to Face will display castings and recordings of 20 people with
AIDS, including two Ithaca-area residents. An opening reception for the
Handwerker Gallery show is scheduled for 5:00–7:00 p.m. on Monday,
February 9. The gallery is located on the ground floor of the Caroline Werner
Gannett Center. Gallery hours, for this exhibit only, will be 9:00 a.m.–9:00
p.m., seven days a week.
"We wanted to make this exhibit as accessible
to people as possible," says Tom Somma, Handwerker Gallery director
and an assistant professor of art history at Ithaca College. "Normally
we are open for only four hours on weekends, but we realized that the show
would generate tremendous interest in the community. The extra hours will
accommodate not only the general public, but also special facilitated viewings
with school groups and other organizations."