Day Without Art
Day Without Art (DWA) is an annual event where art institutions and other organizations organize programs to raise awareness of AIDS, remember people who have died, and inspire positive action. Initiated in 1988 by VisualAIDS from New York City (NYC), nowadays a global event. History Day Without Art began on December 1, 1989 as the national day of action and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis, which had rapidly hurt the artistic community. Jane Alexander, the Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts in 1993, describes the day as a "powerful symbol of the devastating effect of AIDS on the arts community. This day reinforces the vitality and power art brings to our daily lives by showing how the absence of art leaves a void of spirit." The day coincides with World AIDS Day, which began the year before in 1988. To make the public aware that AIDS can touch everyone, and inspire positive action, some 800 U.S. art and AIDS groups participated in the first Day Without Art, shutting down museums, sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services, or sponsoring special exhibitions of work about AIDS. Since then, Day With(out) Art has grown into a collaborative project