named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Carl George / Felix Gonzalez-Torres / Ross Laycock Archive
Curated archive loaned to Visual AIDS that documents the relationship between Ross Laycock and Felix Gonzalez-Torres; used to inspire scholarly and artistic projects on art and AIDS
Ross Laycock Initiative
Web-based project honoring Ross Laycock’s legacy and exploring intersections of art, science, and HIV/AIDS; features artwork from the Visual AIDS Artist Registry and invites reflections from artists, scientists, and activists
Visual AIDS Artist Registry
Living archive of contemporary artists affected by HIV/AIDS; showcases works that engage with medicine, science, and personal experience of the epidemic
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 4 activities
- Administering research fellowships and advancing scholarly workRuns a research fellowship program that supports original writing and scholarship about artists impacted by AIDS and collaborates with artists and estates to advance historical and academic understanding of key figures in the AIDS-impacted art community.
- Curating exhibitions and public programs on HIV/AIDS and artProduces art exhibitions, film screenings, panel discussions, and public conversations that explore the cultural legacy of the AIDS crisis, support under-recognized artists, and foster dialogue around HIV and contemporary culture. Includes retrospectives and documentary presentations.
- Maintaining the Artist+ Registry and archival collectionsOperates the Artist+ Registry, the largest public database of works by visual artists with HIV/AIDS, and conducts archival work including collecting biographical information, securing permissions, correcting transcripts, developing finding aids, and inputting metadata into ArchivesSpace.
- Producing publications and exhibition cataloguesProduces art publications, monographs, and exhibition catalogues that document and preserve the work of under-recognized HIV-positive artists and contribute to the cultural record of the AIDS movement.
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Art Appreciation and Public Engagement 1 activity
- Advocacy through public presentations and conferencesPresents on community-based art education and HIV-related arts programming at conferences to promote best practices and amplify the role of art in public health advocacy.
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Benefit Events for Arts and Culture 1 activity
- Funding and organizing artist commissions and benefit exhibitionsCommissions limited edition prints from contemporary artists and organizes Postcards From the Edge, an annual benefit exhibition and sale of anonymous postcard-sized artworks by emerging and renowned artists, with proceeds supporting organizational programs.
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Creative Arts Therapy Programs 1 activity
- Providing community-based art education and workshopsOffers free weekly arts workshops for people living with HIV at community sites and leads art groups at retreats, integrating art-making into supportive care settings.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Supporting HIV-positive artists through grants and holistic servicesProvides financial and artistic support to HIV-positive artists via Artists Support Grants and free services including web pages, artwork documentation, advocacy, and exhibition opportunities. The program also includes the Artists Materials Grants to help sustain artistic practice.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Organizing Day With(out) Art and World AIDS Day programsOrganizes Day With(out) Art annually on December 1st as an international day of action and awareness, including free global screenings of commissioned video programs and exhibitions that explore the cultural history of AIDS activism and contemporary responses to the epidemic.
- Producing and distributing public art projects on HIV/AIDS awarenessAnnually produces and distributes free, artist-designed materials such as posters, stickers, safer sex kits, tote bags, and balloons to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Also creates large-scale public posters and special-edition valentines distributed internationally.
- Running LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN initiativesOrganizes LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN, an international series of grassroots events around Valentine’s Day, including letter-writing parties and distribution of special-edition valentines, to promote public and private acts of love and care for women and femmes living with HIV.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$898K
Contributions & grants$608K68%
Program service revenue$110K12%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$179K
expenses
Total expenses$861K
Program expenses71%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$397K
Grants paid out$57K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$616K
Cash$466K
Investments$0
Liabilities$394K
Net assets$222K
Liquid reserves6.5 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +13.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KYLE CROFT | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $115K |
board members · 8
- ANTONIO SERGIO BESSA — DIRECTOR
- CARLOS GUTIERREZ-SOLANA — TREASURER
- JIM HODGES — DIRECTOR
- KATHERINE CHEAIRS — SECRETARY
- MARGUERITE VAN COOK — PRESIDENT
- MARK QUIGLEY — TREASURER
- NAYLAND BLAKE — DIRECTOR
- RICARDO MONTEZ — DIRECTOR
relationships · 33
Who they work with
- Alameda Arts Commission Funder — Awarded a grant to create artwork for display at Highland Hospital.
- Alexander Robateau Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS as an artist member to create special-edition valentines for the 2026 LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN campaign.
- Artists Space Partner — Co-organized exhibitions of Vittorio Scarpati's drawings in 1989.
- Barbara Kruger Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS to create posters and AIDS awareness projects.
- Carl George Partner — Collaborates with Visual AIDS to maintain and promote the Carl George / Felix Gonzalez-Torres / Ross Laycock Archive.
- Council on Library and Information Resources Funder — Provides support for the Archive Fellow project.
- Creative Work Fund Funder — Awarded a large grant in 2019 to support collaborative work on contributions of people with HIV and disabilities.
- David Hirsh Partner — Co-founded the Archive Project with Visual AIDS in 1994.
- Frank Moore Partner — Co-founded the Archive Project and collaborated on AIDS awareness projects with Visual AIDS.
- Getty Research Institute Partner — Acquired the Carl George / Felix Gonzalez-Torres / Ross Laycock Archive, which was on long-term loan to Visual AIDS.
- Glenn Ligon Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS to create posters and AIDS awareness projects.
- Group Material Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS to create posters and AIDS awareness projects.
- Hospitality House Partner — Partnered with Hospitality House to teach art classes.
- J. Hartz Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS as an artist member to create special-edition valentines for the 2026 LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN campaign.
- Jessica Whitbread Partner — Founded the LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN project in 2013 as a Visual AIDS artist member.
- Kala Partner — Served as artist in residence at Kala, where she developed her printmaking practice.
- Mike Parker Partner — HIV-positive artist who received a Materials+ Grant and provided testimony about the program's impact
- MoMA PS1 Partner — Hosted the LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN letter-writing party on January 31, 2026, providing space for community volunteers to write personalized letters.
- Nayland Blake Partner — Collaborated with Visual AIDS to create posters and AIDS awareness projects.
- PARTICIPANT INC Partner — Co-hosted a public conversation on John Eric Broaddus at their gallery space.
- PEPFAR Government — Referenced as a major international aid program whose cuts impact access to HIV care.
- SF Arts Commission Funder — Awarded an Art in Transit grant to create public posters along Market Street.
- SHANTI Partner — Participated in SHANTI’s Honoring Our Experience program for people living with HIV/AIDS.
- Smithsonian Portrait Gallery Partner — Featured materials from the Carl George / Felix Gonzalez-Torres / Ross Laycock Archive in exhibitions.
- USAID Government — Referenced as a major international aid program whose cuts impact access to HIV care.
- University of Southern California Partner — Featured materials from the Carl George / Felix Gonzalez-Torres / Ross Laycock Archive in exhibitions.
- ViiV Healthcare Funder — Provides funding for the LOVE POSITIVE WOMEN project through a three-year grant.
- Visual AIDS Network — Was deeply connected to Visual AIDS in New York and participated in its programs and exhibitions.
- WORLD Partner — Collaborated with WORLD to lead art groups at retreats for women living with HIV.
- Windsor Art Center Partner — Hosts the Max Coyer retrospective exhibition and opening reception.
+ 3 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art as Activism for Public Dialogue and Legacy Preservationmethodology: art-for-activismBy using contemporary art and recurring symbolic projects, we sustain public dialogue about HIV/AIDS, support living artists affected by the epidemic, and preserve its cultural history, because art serves as both a political tool and a living archive that challenges stigma and institutional erasure.
- Art as Emotional Resilience and Community Buildingmethodology: art-as-emotional-resilienceBy centering joy, love, and euphoria in art created by people affected by HIV/AIDS, we foster emotional resilience and safe spaces for sharing, because emphasizing positive affect counters dominant narratives of loss and trauma and strengthens community bonds.
- Community-Based Archival Practice for Cultural Ownershipmethodology: community-based_archival_practiceBy involving artists and their estates in determining access and permissions for archival materials, we ensure ethical stewardship and sustained relevance of the cultural record, because community-led curation resists colonial preservation models and empowers those most affected by the epidemic.
- Intersectional Framework Linking HIV to Systems of Powermethodology: intersectional_frameworkBy framing HIV within broader systems of domination—including colonialism, racism, and biopolitical control—we deepen activism’s reach, because this intersectional analysis connects contemporary struggles to ancestral resistance and challenges structural inequities beyond healthcare alone.