FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
C Todd Creations Photography
C Todd Fuqua
317-847-1945
todd@ctoddcreations.com
World AIDS Day Community Reception Showcases Visual & Performing Arts
Indianapolis, IN – November 14, 2024 – A group of local artists will host a World AIDS Day Community Reception on Sunday, December 1, 2024, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Indianapolis Public Library – Central Library (40 E. St. Clair St, Indianapolis). This special event will showcase visual art, live performance, and vital education in a family-friendly environment to commemorate World AIDS Day and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
The reception will feature a wide range of activities, including a Drag Story Time at 2 p.m., with readings from “Hope for Ryan White,” a new children’s book written by Dano Moreno and illustrated by Hannah Abbo, that introduces HIV education to children aged 4-8 in a thoughtful and accessible way. Following this will be a vogue dancing performance at 3 p.m., which will combine entertainment with an educational component, demonstrating how ballroom culture has supported LGBTQ+ and Black communities, particularly those impacted by HIV.
A key highlight of the day will be the opening of the #CelebrateUU Art Campaign, a photography exhibition of 25 personal stories from Hoosiers living with HIV in the modern era of U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable). With U=U, we know a person living with HIV who is on treatment and maintains an undetectable viral load has zero risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. The exhibition aims to reduce HIV stigma and promote understanding through the power of personal narratives, and it will remain on display until December 29th.
Todd Fuqua, the creator of #CelebrateUU, shares that “More broadly than this collection of stories, #CelebrateUU is also a movement calling on people living with HIV to celebrate years of having an undetectable viral load, much like people celebrate years of recovery from addiction or years of remission from cancer.”
In addition to the performances and art, attendees will have access to a resource fair featuring 21 healthcare organizations offering information on HIV prevention, education, and general health services. A mobile testing van from Marion County Public Health Department will provide free HIV and STI testing on-site. A panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will also be on display, honoring the memory of those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
This event is free and open to the public, offering an inclusive space for all, including families, the LGBTQ+ community, and those affected by or interested in learning more about HIV. Catered food and beverages will be available to attendees.
The event is made possible with financial support from BU Wellness Network, C Todd Creations Photography, Gilead Sciences, the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, the Ending the HIV Epidemic and Ryan White HIV Services Programs of the Marion County Public Health Department, and Roberts Camera.
For more information, please contact Todd Fuqua at 317-847-1945 or todd@ctoddcreations.com.
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Media Contact:
C Todd Creations Photography
C Todd Fuqua
317-847-1945
todd@ctoddcreations.com
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