| | A Panel Discussion
Tuesday, December 6, 7 - 9pm
Amphitheatre
209 East 23rd Street, 3rd floor
Suggested admision: $10; SVA students, free. All proceeds will be donated to Visual AIDS to benefit artists living with HIV. School of Visual Arts (SVA) and Visual AIDS, in partnership with the Gesso Foundation, present Force of Nature: The Art and Activism of Frank Moore, a panel and conversation celebrating the late New York-based painter who was a pioneering advocate for individuals with HIV/AIDS, both in his own artwork and leadership role in Visual AIDS. Scheduled to coincide with World AIDS Day (Thursday, December 1), the event will take place on Tuesday, December 6, at 7pm, at the School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23rd Street, 3rd-floor Ampitheater, New York City. An internationally-recognized artist whose works are found in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, Frank Moore was also a longtime board member of Visual AIDS and a collaborating member of a group of artists who conceived and launched the [Red] Ribbon Project, which in 1991 created one of the most enduring symbols of AIDS awareness. Moore's paintings - luminous scenes juxtaposing natural and human elements to explore social and environmental concerns - have been the subject of numerous gallery and museum exhibitions throughout the U.S. Born on Long Island, Frank Moore died of AIDS at the age of 48 in 2002.
The program at SVA brings together friends and contemporaries to celebrate Frank Moore's legacy as an artist, activist, public intellectual and patron of the arts. Nick Debs will give a slide presentation of Moore's works, and designer and member of the original Artists' Caucus at Visual AIDS Marc Happel, along with artists Michael Combs, Mary Jo Vath and Tom Woodruff will participate in a panel discussion moderated by Amy Sadao, director of Visual AIDS. Force of Nature: The Art and Activism of Frank Moore is a fund-raiser to benefit Visual AIDS's Frank Moore Archive Project. Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS increases public awareness of the AIDS pandemic. Through the Frank Moore Archive Project, Visual AIDS historicizes the effects of AIDS on the art community and offers direct, professional services to artists living with HIV. School of Visual Arts and Visual AIDS joined forces in 2004 to present an evening with photographer and SVA alumnus John Dugdale, the first in an ongoing series of programs examining different artists from the Frank Moore Archive Project. Panelists are: Michael Combs, a sculptor who worked as Frank Moore's studio assistant. Nick Debs, Director Emeritus of Visual AIDS and principal of Debs & Co. Marc Happel, a designer who has created costumes for Kiki & Herb, among other theater and performance artists. Mary Jo Vath, a painter and faculty member in the BFA Illustration and Cartooning Department at SVA. Thomas Woodruff, a painter and illustrator, and Chair of SVA's BFA Illustration and Cartooning Department. Founded in 1988 by arts professionals as a response to the effects of AIDS on the arts community and as a way of organizing artists, arts institutions and arts audiences towards direct action, Visual AIDS has evolved into an arts organization with a two-pronged mission. 1) Through the Frank Moore Archive Project, the largest slide library of work by artists living with HIV and the estates of artists who have died of AIDS, Visual AIDS historicizes the contributions of visual artists with HIV while supporting their ability to continue making art and furthering their professional careers. 2) In collaboration with museums, galleries, artists, schools and AIDS service organizations, Visual AIDS produces exhibitions, publications and events utilizing visual art to spread the message "AIDS IS NOT OVER." The Gesso Foundation was established by the estate of acclaimed artist Frank Moore, who died in 2002. Moore's work dealt with AIDS and the environment and the connection between them. He was an AIDS activist and a founding member of Visual AIDS, and was instrumental in the creation of the Red Ribbon. Frank Moore wished the proceeds from his estate and the future sales of his work to be directed toward helping artists and organizations dealing with the continuing AIDS crisis, the environment and social justice issues. Visual AIDS is a Gesso Foundation grant recipient. For more information, contact Dan Halm, external relations coordinator, 212.592.2062 or dhalm@sva.edu.
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