HEAL International organized the event, Paint for Peace, with the help of student volunteers. The organization aims to provide health education and health-related services and started the tradition on the Tempe campus several years ago. (Photo by Alexis Macklin)
Rows of easels and chairs stretched across Hayden Lawn amid fluttering red and white balloons on quiet Wednesday morning inviting passers-by to take a break from finals and paint for World AIDS Day.
HEAL International organized the event, Paint for Peace, with the help of student volunteers. The organization aims to provide health education and health-related services and started the tradition on the Tempe campus several years ago.
Ever since, Paint for Peace has brought about 200 people together to take up a brush and splash their vision of AIDS across the canvass in a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere, said Josh Bollschweiler, event planning coordinator at HEAL International and biological sciences junior.
“It’s an all-inclusive event, and it’s very peaceful,” he said. “We are not cramming statistics down anyone’s throat. It’s just come here and paint and be in peace.”
Repeating "Bring down the stigma” and “You don’t have to be an artist,” the volunteers welcomed everyone to try. The only rule was to include a red ribbon somewhere on the painting.
The event's main goal was to start a conversation and educate people about AIDS, which is still misunderstood in society, HIV Outreach Program Coordinator Mia Wright said. As a part of the event, students could pick up educational brochures or get free STI testing at Memorial Union.
Students paint on Hayden Lawn as part of HEAL International's event Paint for Peace on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. The organization aims to provide health education and health-related services. (Photo by Alexis Macklin)
“A lot of young people think that 'HIV and AIDS can never happen to me. I’m in a monogamous heterosexual relationship, I’m not at risk,’” she said. “But anyone who’s sexually active is at some risk. So it’s important to get students thinking about it and to know how to protect themselves, that’s our main goal.”
After participants got a free 12-inch by 12-inch piece of canvass, paint and brushes, they took a seat and went on a soothing creative journey. The paintings made in memory of HIV-positive people will become a part of the AIDS memorial quilt in Washington D.C.; the others will go to children’s hospitals and HEAL’s projects.
Animal science sophomore Megan Brown came from Estrella Mountain Community College to ASU Paint for Peace once again this year.
Contemplating over the empty canvas with scattered yellow strokes, she said she was going to paint something that would make her feel happy. Her best friend is battling HIV, and she rarely misses any events dedicated to the cause.
Brown supports her friend by going with him to doctor’s appointments and helping him when he is depressed. Such events are extremely important for HIV-positive people because they show that they are not alone, she said.
“People make mistakes or get things that are still life-threatening, but they still have a life,” she said. “I always make (my friend) feel that there’s more to life than the disease. He has it, it doesn’t have him.”
A big banner stated “Take a condom and watch AIDS disappear,” where the word AIDS was written in condoms. When participants finished with their paintings, they could take one of the condoms out of the word, making it disappear from the banner.
Global health senior Kaitlyn Ciampaglio, who volunteered at the event by taking pictures of the participants with their works after they had finished, said the event stands out because it’s quiet and peaceful.
Junior environmental engineer Daiane Gadelha paints during the Paint for Peace event on Hayden Lawn on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. (Photo by Alexis Macklin)
“I think a lot of events are very rowdy, showy and flashy,” she said. “Whereas this is raising awareness, but it’s relaxing, that’s why people notice it ... especially during finals.”
After 40 minutes of meticulous work, business marketing freshman Madeleine Bertch created a composition of dark roses interlacing with a ribbon on one side and bright yellow flowers with henna motives.
Bertch said she tried to show the contrast between the illness and hope with her painting.
“AIDS is a dark thing, but it doesn’t have to be desolate,” she said.
Microbiology junior Jacob Hrkal volunteered at the event by giving out brushes and paints and decided to leave a message as well.
He drew a big eye and the phrase “Don’t turn a blind eye to HIV” to draw people’s attention to the fact that the problem exists internationally.
“Many people don’t see HIV and AIDS in their daily life; they are not aware of it and so they don’t think it’s a problem,” he said. “So I wanted to say, ‘Don’t act like it doesn’t exist just because you can’t see it.'”
Many participants said the event was a great way to take a deep breath before finals and feel a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
“There’s been a lot of stigma about HIV and AIDS in the past, and we’re finally making it to a time now where you don’t have to be afraid to talk about it,” Hrkal said. ”The whole thing is to make it not as taboo to talk about. Here we are asking people to think about people they’ve known in their life ... and hopefully remember them in a good light, without any stigmatization.”
Reach the reporter at kmaryaso@asu.edu or follow on Twitter @KseniaMaryasova
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