For Immediate Release
February 15, 2016
Contact Information

Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications
+1.323.791.5526 mobile
gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Sway Benns, Manager of Digital Media
+1.703.498.7287 mobile
sway.benns@aidshealth.org

(BPRW) Feb. 13th - Trench Art Retrospective: The War Against HIV/AIDS - Women of the African Diaspora in the Trenches

35th Annual Black Doll Exhibit, S.H.I.N.E. Drum Troupe Performance & Community Panel Discussion: "Creating Sanctuary: Eliminating HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and Shame in the African American Community."

(Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Saturday, February 13, 2016, the 35th Annual Black Doll Show at the William Grant Stills Art Center in the West Adams District of Los Angeles will close. The exhibit is a “Labor of Love” by curator, Professor Cynthia Davis of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and Board Chair of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). The goal of the exhibit is to heighten awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on Women of Color on a local, national and international basis.

“Women of Color, and especially girls of childbearing age, are the most vulnerable populations worldwide being affected by this pandemic,” stated Professor Davis. “This exhibit is giving local artists and HIV/AIDS activists an opportunity to come together to share, celebrate, and acknowledge the work that still needs to be done to eradicate HIV/AIDS in communities of color at home and abroad, as well as to acknowledge the millions of women and girls who have died due to HIV/AIDS in the past 37 years.”
WHAT:

Black Doll Exhibit, Drum Troupe Performance & Panel Discussion on HIV/AIDS Stigma

WHEN:

Saturday, February 13th Noon to 5:00pm
WHERE:

All events @ William Grant Stills Art Center
2520 S. West View Street, L.A., CA 90016

Exhibition: 35th Annual Black Doll Show (closing day) 12:00 noon - 5:00pm

2:00pm:
Drum Troupe Performance S.H.I.N.E. troupe playing traditional African music

2:30pm:
Panel Discussion “Creating Sanctuary: Eliminating HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and Shame in the African American Community.”

  • Reverend Kelvin Sauls, Pastor of Holman United Methodist Church
  • Reverend Alfreda Lanoix of Love@Work
  • Bishop Geraldine Phillips Coates
  • Pastor Curt Thomas


MEDIA CONTACT: Sway Benns, +1.703.498.7287 mobile

On February 13th, beginning at 12 Noon, the community will be able to come and tour the exhibit for the last time, meet some of the artists and the curator, and enjoy the beautiful art work, including altars, sculptures, quilts and hundreds of beautiful Black dolls. At 2:00 PM, visitors will be greeted with the S.H.I.N.E. Drum Troupe, playing traditional African music. Then beginning at 2:30 PM, there will be a panel presentation with several local ministers speaking on the theme: “Creating Sanctuary: Eliminating HIV/AIDS-related Stigma and Shame in the African American Community.” Confirmed panelists include Reverend Kelvin Sauls of Holman United Methodist Church, Reverend Alfreda Lanoix of Love@Work, Bishop Geraldine Phillips Coates, and Pastor Curt Thomas. After the panel presentation, there will be refreshments and more time to tour the exhibit. This exhibit was made possible by a generous grant from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and is a community mobilization program of AHF’s ABACT Women’s Sub-Committee.

The William Grant Stills Art Center is located at 2520 S. West View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90016, which is three blocks east of La Brea off of Adams Boulevard. The William Grant Stills Art Center is open daily every Tuesday through Saturday from 12 Noon to 5:00 PM.

In addition, as part of Black History Month and on the heels of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Feb. 7th), Reverend Kelvin Sauls of Holman UMC is hosting an invitation-only ‘Teach-in for Faith Leaders’ titled, “The Black Church and HIV/AIDS—What Did Jesus Do?” The event is all day Friday, Feb. 12th and from 9:00am to 2:00pm Saturday, Feb. 13th by invitation only and is being held on the campus of Holman United Methodist Church.

We look forward to having a full house on February 13th. Everyone is welcome. For additional information about the exhibit, call (323) 734-1165.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 595,000 individuals in 35 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.