Meadville Lombard announces its new area of study in Liberal Religion and Arts with the opening of the art exhibit, “Facing HIV/AIDS.” The photographic essay is sponsored by The AIDS Task Force of Northeast Indiana and its Executive Director, Gregory Manifold. Artist and photographer John Gevers created the images and helped interview the subjects, all of whom share memories, ideas and feelings about living with HIV/AIDS, including the spiritual dimension.  Both Manifold and Gevers will be present at the show’s opening on Friday, November 30, at 5:15 p.m. in the Curtis Room.

Associate Professor of Ministry and the Arts John Tolley is a personal friend of both Manifold and Gevers and first introduced the idea of bringing the exhibit to Meadville Lombard through the Curtis Room Committee.  The committee is a group of students appointed by the Meadville Lombard Council who, along with Tolley, has researched ways in which the school’s “living room” might better reflect the diversity of our community and our vision for diversity in the community. This exhibit is one which focuses on many people from a variety of ethnic and class backgrounds living with AIDS. Their spiritual journeys are documented by and through the arts and serve as a witness to social outreach and public ministry to which the school is committed.

Please join us for the opening of “Facing HIV/AIDS,” on Friday, November 30, at 5:15 p.m.  The event is the school’s effort to recognize National AIDS Day on December 1, launch our new Liberal Religion and the Arts Study Core, and begin a new era of inclusion and global vision for the school’s reception hall.  Following the viewing, a short faculty forum will include Manifold, Gevers, Tolley, and Associate Professor of Theology, Michael Hogue, with words of welcome by President Lee Barker. A wine and cheese reception will conclude the event.  Everyone is welcome.

The photos on this page are from the collection.
Click on these photos to see more of the Facing HIV/AIDS exhibit and read the words of these and
many more people who are living with HIV/AIDS.