Mary Bowman Arts In Activism Award

The National AIDS Memorial has announced that Sarah Frank a freshman at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is the second recipient of the Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award. The Award honors the life of Mary Bowman the young poet, advocate, author & singer living with AIDS who passed away in early 2019 at the age of 30. John Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Memorial stated, “We are pleased to honor novelist, poet & performer Sarah Frank with this year’s Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award. Sarah’s poetry reflects on her personal experiences that raise awareness & inspire action.” Sarah Frank added, “As a Jewish person, I have experienced anti-Semitism firsthand. I performed one of my pieces about the Holocaust at a poetry reading. Afterwards, I was approached by someone who told me my piece reminded them that there is still much work to do to combat anti-Semitism. I plan to use this scholarship to continue lending my voice & my poetry to raise greater awareness around stigma, bigotry, health & social justice.” Funded through a multi-year grant from ViiV Healthcare the Award offers support to artist-activists who are working & committed to making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS & advancing social justice. Marc Meachem, Head, U.S. External Affairs, ViiV Healthcare concluded, “This award supports young artists & activists like Sarah who use their creative talents & share their message of change through the arts. Like Mary Bowman’s, Sarah’s work shows how culture can change stigma & deepen connections with people to breakthrough prejudices & activate action.” ViiV Healthcare has supported the multi-year program with more than $100,000 in funding to the National AIDS Memorial. For More Info…