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On December 1, 2008, The Institute for Community Research and AIDS Project Hartford will commemorate World AIDS Day with the opening reception of 'Connected Threads,' an interactive community arts installation located in ICR’s Jean J. Schensul Community Gallery, 146 Wyllys St., Hartford. The exhibition will feature quilt squares, memory dolls, and wall hangings created by community members, and an AIDS altar displaying donated photos, written messages and mementos. The opening reception will take place from 1:30 to 3:30 pm with guest speaker Shawn Lang, Director of Public Policy of the CT AIDS Resource Coalition, and will include music and spoken word performances. The event is free and open to the public.
“Communities around the world have been struggling with HIV/AIDS for almost three decades, states Kim Radda, Director of Research Administration at the Institute for Community Research. “You’d be hard pressed to find individuals whose lives have not been touched in some way by the virus,” continues Radda. “It is our hope that this exhibition expresses messages of remembrance, awareness and hope, and provides a contemplative space for people of all ages to find common ground, and to be stirred to activism."
The exhibition runs through December 19, 2008 and community members are encouraged to visit and contribute to the installation throughout this time. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, during special weekend events and by appointment. All photos, mementos and other personal items will be returned to their donors at the close of the exhibition. For further information, contact Kim Radda at the Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 x285.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. In addition to the exhibit, a coalition of local and state health, social service, research and advocacy organizations will host an evening event featuring speakers, music and refreshments from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Community Health Services, 500 Albany Avenue, Hartford. For more information, call 860-761-6699.
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'Connected Threads' is made possible by the Greater Hartford Arts Council through contributors to the United Arts Campaign and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism; and the National Endowment for the Arts; and with the support of The Institute for Community Research, an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources, and AIDS Project Hartford, a nonprofit organization providing direct services, supportive services and prevention/education services to those affected by HIV/AIDS. For more information about ICR please visit our website at www.incommunityresearch.org. For more information about APH, visit the website at www.aidsprojecthartford.org.
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