Every year since 1989, on or around World AIDS Day (December 1), art museums and galleries close their doors, turn off their lights, or shroud works of art while offering information about HIV/AIDS and safer sex. This international day of action and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis is called Day With(out) Art. It honors individual legacies, commemorates personal loss, and increases awareness and action to combat the worldwide AIDS epidemic.
This year, in observance of Day With(out) Art, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is covering John D. McLaughlin’s #21-1958. Think about the significance of shrouding an artwork on view and take some time to engage with the other works in this gallery: “Untitled” (LA) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres is part of a series initially conceived as a memorial to the artist’s partner, Ross Laycock, who died due to AIDS-related complications in 1991. The bright color of Ellipse by Ilya Bolotowsky reflects this year’s theme of Red Reminds Me…. What does the color red remind you of? Does this painting spark emotions or memories?