December 3, 2013

After a too-long hiatus from my photo of the day project (all for "good" reasons, e.g. I've been happy and busy working and traveling), I find myself desperately missing the ritual of shooting and sharing. I appreciate those of you who have been loyal followers, those who have shared this blog (in spite of my absence) and those who are coming back to see what's new.  

This past Sunday was World AIDS Day.  As part of the event, one of the oldest arts centers in Rwanda--Ivuka Arts--ran a 2-week-long anti-stigma arts workshop called "Kurema Kureba Kwiga (To Create, To See, To Learn)." The workshop culminated in this (the first-ever) street art mural in Kigali at the RBC (created, in part, by the Ivuka Arts Center artists and a visiting muralist from South Africa, Ricky Lee Gordon).

The event, spearheaded by my new friend and colleague, Judy Kaine, helped bring two things to the fore: cultural acceptance for those affected with HIV and AIDS and a burgeoning acceptance for the arts as a form of public expression.

Below, the official reveal of the mural the morning of World AIDS Day.