For the month of December, Sacred Grounds coffee shop exhibited two pieces of artwork dealing with HIV/AIDs. The opening for the exhibit coincided with World AIDS Day. Heidi Arnott, an outreach counselor with Youth Education Services (YES) headed the event. "YES's focus is on youth ages 13-24, I wanted to make sure there was an event for World AIDS Day that reached out to our clients and the people we care about. I knew I had to create something special for this crowd." That is when Arnott applied for a grant from The Health Councils, Inc. & Florida Department of Health. Arnott's proposal for Honor: A World AIDS Day Event was accepted. The idea was to have an evening dedicated to raising awareness and exploring issues surrounding HIV & AIDS. Held at Sacred Grounds on December 3, it consisted of free food by Viva La Frida, music by local talent Christie Jimenez, and artwork by Steven Reigns.
Christie Jimenez is a classical guitarist, composer, and vocalist whose music is influenced by many genres. Jimenez blends jazz, rock, classical, and funk. She earned the honor of being in the top 5% of about 5,000 participants for The National Art Recognition Talent Search. Currently studying at USF with designs to attend Berkley School of Music, Jimenez was pleased to be a part of such an event.
Two installation pieces by Reigns were on display. Postcards to the Dead, addressing the conflicts of mourning after a loved one has died of AIDS. The installation made its debut at Positive Expressions Art Gallery two years ago and has since traveled around Florida. Reigns created a new interactive installation for the event. Honor: A Wall of Remembering. Participants were asked to write on a red piece of paper that would then be folded into the shape of an AIDS ribbon and placed on the wall. Reigns explains, "Whether we have the virus in our system or not, we are all living with HIV/AIDS. I wanted to give people an opportunity to write, anomiously, how they feel about the virus. Poetry, prose, rants, raves, letters--the form wasn't as important as the creative cathartic process." Reigns believes that giving people a chance to express their feelings help ease the traumatic time we are in "living" with AIDs. The installation has been taken down and some sentiments written on ribbon shape cards follow: "This deadly disease comes like a thief in the night to rob a person of good health, turning life upside down.", "Dear Carlos, you didn't say goodbye to me and I lost my only chance. Goodbye, I will miss you." "I never gave you too much thought before, but now you've taken a friend." "I'm angry because I have to live with you. I'll cherish life a little more and lover a little harder."
During the event, Arnott gave HIV tests with the assistance of YES staff members. "We test every week at Sacred Grounds. The need to test a younger population is vitally important. We had a great turn out for the event and did twice as many tests as we usually do. I'm pleased to have two very dedicated talented artists and the grant support. Any event that heightens awareness is critical. I'm glad we were able to provide one to a younger population."