The theme for the 2020 series is Celebrating 50 Years of Gay Pride —
We’re very excited to have entered the San Francisco Art Commission’s grant “2020 Art on Market Kiosk Poster Series” with our proposal to honor the long-term HIV survivor community in San Francisco by creating a group of images that will be heroic and hopeful portraits of the Leaders and Warriors of the LGBTQ community. We will also attend several events where our goal will be to capture the spirit, love, and close relationships in the community such as the ‘PRIDE Parade’ and the ‘Food for the Body and Soul’ event that happened in 2016.
Nelson D’alerta, at left, Jesus Heberto Guillen Solis, middle, and Hank Trout, at right, embrace during the ‘Food for the Body and Soul’ event in 2016, at a luncheon honoring the long-term survivor community in San Francisco, CA.
Bonnie Parker has been living with HIV since 1989. At Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, she says “that this is what I need….calming and peaceful.”
Hank Trout, a long term HIV Survivor, a professional writer and a poet, who’s written about his life experiences of living with the disease, his struggles and personal triumphs, as a gay man and about the LGBTQ community in San Francisco.
Betsy Ponce, a long term HIV survivor, holding a candle she held at an AIDS Memorial march in the Castro District in the early 1990’s, at her home in San Francisco, CA.
Ralph Thurlow, left, and David Spiher, have been married for 12 years – Spiher has been living with HIV for 30 years and 18 years with AIDS, while Thurlow has had AIDS for 12 years and has HIV related dementia, at their home in Hayward, CA.
Billie Cooper, living with HIV, says “confidence to me is if you don’t like me it’s ok. I love myself today.”
Long term HIV Survivor Dominik Mollica says “I’m trying not to define myself by all these challenges and I’m also trying not to define myself by all the shit I’ve been put thru, self-generated or not.”
Angelica Tome, left, who is HIV Negative, with her mother Patti Radigan, a long term HIV survivor, in San Francisco, CA.
Jesus Heberto Guillen Solis – community activist and founder of the ‘HIV Long Term Survivor’ Facebook group is committed and passionate about bringing awareness and compassion to the daily struggles that many long term HIV survivors live with. He has been living with HIV for over 30 years, at the ‘2018 San Francisco PRIDE Parade,’ in San Francisco, CA.
Kevin VandenBergh, a long term HIV survivor, with Diane Sciarretta, an ally of the LGBTQ community who with her “Bodyscapes Healing Art Workshops” has created powerful and rich narratives about living and aging after the AIDS pandemic, at the “Revival Dance Party” in San Francisco that was organized by the ‘Honor Our Experience’ Facebook group, for the LTHS community.
