AT THE ALLEN / FALL 2024 / 15 HIGHLIGHT / COMMUNITY OUTREACH A DAY OF CONNECTION: ART, MUSIC, AND HIV/AIDS Last April, the Allen hosted an event that continued Oberlin College’s decadeslong tradition of art, performance, and activism around experiences of HIV/AIDS. Planned in collaboration with dozens of students, faculty, and community members, A Day of Connection: Art, Music, and HIV/AIDS spannedmultiple generations, exploring the cathartic power of art in the wake of collective trauma. The day began in the galleries with seven back-to-back Oberlin Conservatory string quartets performing a program that responded to themes of grief and healing (photos 1 & 6), including works by composers Rhiannon Giddens (OC 2000) and Franghiz Ali-Zadeh. Students collaborated closely with the Allen’s curators and Conservatory faculty to identify musical selections that resonated with the artworks on view. Attendees had the opportunity to handle limited edition artists’ books andmaterials from college archives, chronicling the role of artists in the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis. The day included pop-up talks in the galleries by Cleveland-based HIV/AIDS activist and artist Gil Kudrin (photo 4) and friends and family of Cleveland-born artist Jerome Caja (photo 5). The event concluded with an afternoon of performances developed by students fromOberlin’s Theater Department, with selections from Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (photo 2) and Patti Smith’s Just Kids, as well as original student compositions (photo 3). Additional campus and community partners such as Oberlin’s Multicultural Resource Commons and LGBTQ+ Lorain County offered information, activities, and resources during the event. Live performances and new relationships forged throughout the day brought joy and resilience to the exhibition The Body, the Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity, which examines the intersection of faith, illness, and activism. The exhibition is on view through December 15, and a symposium is planned for November 15 and 16 which will expand on the themes explored in the exhibition. See page 23 for more information on the upcoming event. 1 3 5 6 4 2 TANYA ROSEN-JONES
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