• About Us
• Staff
• Board of Directors
• Client Liaison
• Pro-Bono Attorney
• Advisory Board


About Us (back to top)

In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that devastated the Bay Area arts community, a group of passionately concerned artists, collectors and art dealers founded Visual Aid in 1989 to serve artists affected by the disease. Over time, the organization expanded its mission to help produce, present and preserve the work of professional, visual artists in need, those whose careers are challenged because of any life-threatening illness.

Each year, over 75 professional, visual artists suffering from disabling, life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Breast Cancer benefit from Visual Aid’s programs. Serving Bay Area visual artists from diverse backgrounds, the organization encourages artists to remain active participants in the larger arts community, and promotes dialogue on illness and art.

In a society where success is measured in financial terms and artists are marginalized, an artist’s commitment to a life of art-making usually involves struggle and personal sacrifice. When artists become ill, they are confronted with the difficult decision of choosing between maintaining their health or art careers. Each day, these artists continue to make art, confronting the uncertainty of illness and the powerful side effects of medication, while battling prejudice, isolation and depression.

Staff (back to top)

Julie Blankenship . Executive Director
Jim Winters . Program Manager
Kyle Levinger . Program Assistant

Board of Directors (back to top)

Tim Losch . President
Richard Pinegar . Secretary
Cassie Gruenstein
Stephen Tourell
Howard Thornton
Jim Martin
Sallyanne English

Client Liaison (back to top)

Michael Johnstone

Pro-Bono Attorney (back to top)
 
J. Thomas Trombadore

Advisory Board (back to top)

Paule Anglim
Michelle Bello
Rena Bransten
Ruth Braunstein
Robert Brown
Enrique Chagoya
Richard Crisman
Jeffrey Fraenkel
Daniel Goldstein
Dawn Hagen
Jeffrey Long
Patricia Kemeny Macias
U.B. Morgan
Ramekon O’Arwisters
Marian Parmenter
David Perry
Renny Pritikin
Gene Ramey
Richard Reisman
Michael Sears
Sara Slavin
Christopher S. Stafford
Stephen Wirtz
Wylie Wong

(back to top)