8 / AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU The exhibition showcases strengths in the Allen’s collection in the areas of Latin American and LGBTQ+ artists. Nearly half of the works in the exhibition are by artists of color, due in large part to the generosity of Oberlin alumni donors. The Christianity section is anchored with works by Enrique Chagoya, Graciela Iturbide, Malangatana Ngwenya, Artemio Rodríguez, and CharlesWilbert White. The HIV/AIDS presentation includes works by Carlos Alfonso, Emma Amos, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, René Santos, and Masami Teraoka. The vision of Bill Olander, who worked at the Allen from 1979–1984 as a curator and acting director, is on full display. He oversaw acquisitions of works by Robert Mapplethorpe, General Idea, Jimmy DeSana, and others who addressed AIDS in their work. Olander subsequently co-founded the artist-activist organization Visual AIDS in 1988 and was a curator at the NewMuseum of Contemporary Art in New York from 1985 until his death fromAIDS-related illness in 1989. Olander’s rectangle on the AIDS Memorial Quilt reads, “Let the record show that there are many in the community of art and artists who choose not to be silent in the 1980s.” Oberlin College students, faculty, and the community have played a vital role in bringing this exhibition to life. The Allen hostedmultiple focus groups over the past year, includingmore than a dozen faculty—from religion and art to biology and gender, sexuality, and feminist studies—who advised on the selection and interpretation of artworks and incorporated them into their syllabi. The museum consulted with local religious leaders, community activists, and HIV/ AIDS researchers. Oberlin students have been involved with all stages of researching and installing the exhibition and implementing programming and community engagement. Theater and conservatory students are developing performances that will take place in the gallery, including chamber music and scenes from the play Angels in America. An artist talk in spring 2024 will bring a queer lens to medieval and early modern Christian art. A symposium on HIV/AIDS is being planned for fall 2024. In the midst of Covid-19, these powerful works responding to Christianity and HIV/AIDS have much to teach us about faith, tolerance, activism, identity, healthcare, and love. Organized by SamAdams, Ellen Johnson ’33 Assistant Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Page 6: Ismael Frigerio (Chilean, b. 1955), Sacred Blood, 1990. Serigraph. Gift of Cristina Delgado (OC 1980) and Stephen F. Olsen (OC 1979), 1997.37.2. Above: Audrey Flack (American, b. 1931), Macarena Esperanza, 1972, Fund for Contemporary Art, 1973.39. Left: Keith Haring (American, 1958–1990), Untitled, 1982–83, Gift of Rick Kantor (OC 1975) in honor of Minerva Durham’s Drawing Class, 2021.31.2. Top right: Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007), 49 Three-Part Variations on Three Different Kinds of Cubes, 1967–71. Enamel on steel. Fund for Contemporary Art, 1972.77. BottomRight: Liú Zhīguì 刘知贵 (Chinese, b. 1945), A Sleepless Night, 1974. Gouache on paper. MuseumFriends Fund, 2023.9. CONTINUED
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