The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG), in collaboration with the River Campus Libraries (RCL) and Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) are pleased to bring the cast of RENT, now in its 25th Anniversary “Farewell Season of Love’ tour, to MAG on Tuesday, March 8, at 3 pm to tour MAG’S current exhibition Up Against the Wall: Art, Activism, and the AIDS Poster in an effort to bring awareness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On view from March 6–June 19, 2022 at MAG, Up Against the Wall is the first major exhibition devoted to the University of Rochester’s vast collection of HIV/AIDS-related posters. The RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour performs at RBTL’s Auditorium Theatre March 7 & 8. More information can be found on rbtl.org. TOUR DETAILS What: RBTL’s Auditorium Theatre RENT cast tour of Up Against the Wall: Art, Activism, and the AIDS
Poster When: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | 3-4 pm Where: Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave
About the Rochester Broadway Theatre League The Rochester Broadway Theatre League’s (RBTL’s) mission is to provide opportunities for all people to experience, understand and enjoy the best in arts and performance through its education programs, events and activities. To fulfill its mission, RBTL strives to offer diverse performances that reflect the highest standards of excellence, and to make those performances accessible to the broadest possible audience. Founded in 1957 as an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization, RBTL has grown into Rochester’s premier venue management and service organization for the performing arts and entertainment. In addition to presenting the best in touring Broadway shows, the RBTL provides ticketing, marketing and production services for other organizations’ events. About the Exhibition Up Against the Wall: Art, Activism, and the AIDS Poster is the first major exhibition devoted to the University of Rochester’s vast collection of HIV/AIDS-related posters. The exhibition features 165 of the most visually arresting and thought-provoking posters from the over 8000 donated by collector, physician, and medical historian Dr. Edward C. Atwater, one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. Illustrating the wide range of strategies used to educate and inform about this devastating global pandemic, the exhibition underscores how beauty and creativity have grown out of the tragedy and destruction of the deadly virus. This collaborative exhibition and all related activities are made possible through the vision and generosity of donor, collector, physician, and medical historian Dr. Edward C. Atwater, and his family, whose AIDS Education Posters Collection is part of the River Campus Libraries’ Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation at the University of Rochester. The exhibition is sponsored by Vicki and Richard Schwartz, the Rochester Area Community Foundation’s Lloyd E. Klos Fund, Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries, DKT International, the Gleason Family Foundation, Trillium Health, and Dr. Bill Valenti and James Wolk. Additional support has been provided by Janet S. Reed, Rochester Picture Framing, the Family of Dr. Edward C. Atwater, Helen H. Berkeley, Canandaigua National Bank and Trust, the Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, the Anthony J. Mascioli Trust, Suzanne M. Spencer, Rochester Victory Alliance, Dr. Stephen Dewhurst, Dr. Michael S. Gottlieb, Tamar Carroll and Lars Schumann, and two anonymous donors.
Funding is also provided by the Thomas and Marion Hawks Memorial Fund, the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Fund, and the Nancy R. Turner Fund for Special Exhibitions. The exhibition is supported in part by awards from the New York State Education Department made possible by Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-245369-OMS-20. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The book that complements the exhibition is published by RIT Press and made possible by William M. Valenti, M.D. Community Sponsor: About the Curator Guest curator Donald Albrecht has curated numerous major exhibitions that explore cultural trends, including Gay Gotham: Art and Underground Culture in New York for the Museum of the City of New York, as well as shows focusing on major designers and design houses, such as The Work of Charles and Ray Eames for the Library of Congress and Vitra Design Museum, and Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future for the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, National Building Museum, and Yale University. Mr. Albrecht also develops and edits exhibition catalogs, contributing major essays and working with other writers to provide fresh critical perspectives. His catalogs have garnered numerous awards, including the Society of Architectural Historians’ Best Exhibition Catalogue for the Eero Saarinen and the Eames catalogs. Mr. Albrecht lectures frequently about architecture and design. He is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome. About River Campus Libraries With more than 3.5 million volumes, extensive digital resources, and world-renowned collections of rare and unique materials, River Campus Libraries forms the intellectual foundation of learning and research at the University of Rochester. The Libraries’ strategic plan for 2018–2025 focuses on making its collections accessible for all, designing spaces that serve their users’ needs, enriching educational experiences, supporting scholarly research at the University, and engaging communities on and off campus. About Memorial Art Gallery The Memorial Art Gallery showcases visual art from antiquity to the present day, including the outdoor public Centennial Sculpture Park. In addition to its permanent collection, MAG offers a year-round schedule of special exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours, after-hours social events, and family activities. Hours: Wednesday–Sunday 11 am to 5 pm, and until 9 pm on Thursdays and select Fridays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission: $20; senior citizens, $17; college students with ID and children 6–18, $11. Always free to members, University of Rochester faculty/staff and students, and children 5 and under. Half-price general admission Thursdays from 5–9 pm is made possible by Monroe County, with additional support from FULLMEA5URE. For more information, call 585.276.8900 or visit mag.rochester.edu. Press contact: Rachael Brown, Director of Marketing and Engagement: (585) 276-8937 / rbrown@mag.rochester.edu
