ENTERTAINING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING EVENTS PLANNED FOR CONSECUTIVE EVENINGS.
(SARASOTA, FLA. NOVEMBER 23, 2021) – Now in its 30th year in the fight against HIV, CAN Community Health will observe World AIDS Day by collaborating with two of the region’s leading cultural institutions on the evenings of December 1 and 2 to co-present powerful, thought-provoking and memorable experiences. The events will take place at Sarasota Art Museum and Urbanite Theatre.
“At CAN we believe that collaboration and partnership are essential to community service. Having these two very different organizations – SAM and Urbanite Theatre – partner with us in support of World AIDS DAY and A Day With(out) Art will make a significant impact,” said Roger Capote, Sr. Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for CAN.
Wednesday, December 1: Day With(out) Art Evening Program to Feature the Art of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, AIDS Quilt Display, Live Performance and More.
In partnership with Sarasota Art Museum, CAN Community Health will co-present a Day With(out) Art evening program. This evening of contemplation, community and care will feature an installation of visual art by Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957-1996) and a tribute to the National AIDS Quilt display that was originally created on the National Mall lawn. Quilts will be displayed within the Museum’s McGuire Hall.
Sarasota Art Museum Executive Director Virginia Shearer said, “Felix Gonzalez-Torres was a thoughtful artist whose work is very accessible to the public. Though his work is infused with fun and light-heartedness, he never lost site of its deeper meaning and his mission, which is to have the public engage with issues that mattered to him by participating with his art. The work ‘Untitled’ is from a series called ‘The Candy Spill,’ and is actually a metaphor for the deterioration of the body during illness.”
The evening’s program will also feature Guest Speaker Jon Arterton, an AIDS activist and person living with AIDS, a live performance by Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota, “Faces of HIV” panels & CAN Community Health timeline, and CAN Patient Video Tribute. This event is free of charge and open to the public.
WHERE: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236 INFORMATION: On the Museum Website
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Thursday, December 2: Performance Donations Will Benefit CAN Patient Assistance Fund.
On Thursday, December 2, CAN Community Health will partner with Urbanite Theatre to co-present the evening’s performance of Terry Guest’s At The Wake Of A Dead Drag Queen, directed by Damian Lockhart in his Urbanite Theatre debut.
“At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen is one of those rare productions that is immensely funny and joyful while exploring complex, meaningful cultural matters,” says Urbanite Theatre’s Founder and Co-Artistic Director Brendan Ragan.
During the December 2 performance, all performance donation will be donated to the CAN Community Health Patient Assistance Fund.
WHERE: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 2nd Street, Sarasota FL 34236 TICKETS AND INFORMATION: www.urbanitetheatre.com
About Sarasota Art Museum:
Sarasota Art Museum is The Ringling College of Art and Design’s dynamic laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. Sarasota Art Museum shares the Ringling College Museum Campus with Ringling College’s Continuing Studies program comprised of the non-credit Studio and Digital Art program and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College.
As Sarasota’s only museum solely focused on contemporary artists and their work, Sarasota Art Museum offers visitors a place to see thought-provoking exhibitions and participate in education programs that start conversations and amplify the city’s creative spirit.
Located in the historic Sarasota High School, Sarasota Art Museum opened to the public in 2019 in the beautifully reimagined building by K/R Architects. The new Museum is comprised of 15,000 square feet of dedicated exhibition space, a plaza court, the Great Lawn featuring temporary sculpture and site-specific installations, Bistro, and SHOP.
About Urbanite Theatre:
Founded in Sarasota, Florida in 2015, Urbanite Theatre is committed to creating visceral, shared experiences by fearlessly lifting up the boldest new voices in theatre. We believe in inclusive, artist-first storytelling, daring honesty, and the powerful connectivity of an intimate space.
Urbanite Theatre’s 2021/22 Season, titled Radiance, will feature four productions that celebrate joy, revival and intrigue. The season marks Urbanite Theatre’s first live, indoor programming since March 2020.
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EDITOR’S NOTE:
THE FOLLOWING ASSETS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM A DEDICATED DROPBOX FOLDER: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sv3ib5xyjrjzshk/AACvraUXPVlGOgrB07-NLdUZa?dl=0
Fact Sheets:
• CAN Community Health
• World AIDS Day
• HIV and IADS, Globally and in the U.S.
Images (Credit CAN Community Health):
• AIDS Memorial Quilts • Faces of HIV Display • Felix Gonzalez-Torres • Story of AIDS Quilts