‘Out of the Woodwork,’ left, and ‘Out Loud’ at the CCHHS AIDS art exhibit on Dec. 7.
Photo by Scott Neuffer.
Six words can be read at the AIDS art exhibit in the lobby of Carson City Health and Human Services at 900 E. Long St.: “fight for the right to live.”
The words come from the text of a story that accompanies a piece called “The Defender.” It is one of nine pieces on display that commemorates World AIDS Day, which was Dec. 1. The exhibit is comprised of Nevada artists, including HIV-positive Las Vegas comedian Brandon Cox Sanford, and artists from around the world.
According to Frances Ashley of CCHHS, who organized the project, the exhibit is likely to stay up into the new year.
“It’s so powerful,” Ashley said Dec. 7. “We have to understand that for 40 years, people have been struggling with this.”
A treatment adherence counselor, Ashley has been on the front lines of that struggle, working with HIV/AIDS patients in rural counties throughout Nevada. She described her job as the “first contact” between someone who tests positive for HIV and case management and necessary healthcare. She said the severity of the diagnosis is hard to process for new patients, so mental health care is needed as well. She emphasized the virus can infect anyone, not just those in the LGBTQ community.
“There is no reason to have one new case,” she said. “The biggest thing is that anyone actively having sex needs to be tested annually.”
According to CCHHS, there are more than 12,000 people living with HIV in Nevada, and 1.2 million people in the U.S. Globally, the virus has claimed the lives of approximately 36 million people.
Ashley discussed how advances in medicine and care have made life possible for those infected, but shame and stigma surrounding the virus remain.
“Silence can actually cost a life,” she said, referring to a story by one of the exhibit’s contributors.
That contributor lost a mother, who refused treatment for both herself and her son. That son, Brandon Cox Sanford, lives on.
“I must have cried for three weeks,” Ashley said when talking about compiling materials for the exhibit. “This is something people have come to the other side of. They’re survivors.”
In a show of solidarity, Carson City Mayor Lori Bagwell signed a Dec. 1 proclamation recognizing World AIDS Day. A copy of the proclamation hangs with the art exhibit.
“Carson City recognizes and remembers those lives lost to HIV-related illnesses and will continue to address HIV and HIV Stage-3 (AIDS) as a public health concern,” reads the proclamation.
Ashley called the exhibit “phenomenal.” It raises awareness and provides testimony of those who’ve not only survived, but thrived.
“They all have achieved greatness in life,” she said of contributors. “Now, they are giving back.”
For information about HIV/AIDS in Nevada, visit https://endhivnevada.org/initiatives_and_progress/