A Summer at Visual AIDS

This summer, I was fortunate enough to have spent my time as an intern at Visual AIDS.  My name is Molly Lambe and I am an art student at New York University.  I first learned of Visual AIDS through their past exhibition, “Tainted Love” at La Mama La Galleria and was very drawn to the fact that they are the only arts organization that offers support for HIV positive artists, in addition to creating ongoing projects in the effort to spread awareness about AIDS.      

This year, I wrote a paper about the David Wojnarowicz controversy for one of my classes, discussing how necessary it is to have artists, such as Wojnarowicz, that are able to show a history that was once silenced and in turn, provoke a great deal of conversation from their work.  Through my time at Visual AIDS, I've realized how important the role of an artist is, especially in conveying an accessible message about such a global problem and using art as a way to connect with a huge range of people.     

I’ve found the most interesting part of my internship was helping to maintain the Frank Moore Archive project, which has been a privilege to be able to look through on a daily basis.  Through seeing many of the works, I’ve really begun to grasp how alienating the disease can be, which is part of the reason why I think Visual AIDS is so important, as it not only gives many artists a voice, but also the assurance that they will be heard, that someone will actually listen.  The organization continues to spread a very powerful message and I am so happy to have worked with such dedicated people, who are so committed to the cause and so willing to go above and beyond for something they really believe in.