Anonymous

St. [Aloysius] Luis de Gonzaga

Oil on board, 22 x 22”; 28.5 x 28.5" framed, late 18th to early 19th century

Permanent Art Collection, William Way LGBT Community Center; Gift, Joe Barker, 2008

"The Jesuit order will ask Pope John Paul II to name a patron saint of AIDS sufferers, a senior priest of the order said today. The Rev. Giuseppe Pitau said he would ask the Pope to give the title to St. Aloysius [Luis de] Gonzaga, a Jesuit who worked among victims of the plague when an epidemic struck Rome in 1591. He died of typhus at the age of 23."

— The New York Times, 1991
 
 
 

Robert Reinhardt

In Memory of Patrick Allen

Mixed medium sculpture, 14 x 4 x 3", 1995

Permanent Art Collection, William Way LGBT Community Center

"Pat was a close friend who passed away at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It was a time when there were no 'miracle medicines' or support from any form of government or religious groups."

— Robert Reinhardt
 
 
 

William Thomas Whiting

Eros as the Angel of AIDS

Acrylic on board, 18.75 x 13.75", 1984

Private collection

"The nude Eros angel is holding a spear as a phallic symbol, with a long, rippling red ribbon trailing off into the distance, representing the long and mysterious trail left by the exchange of blood unknowingly transmitted from one infected individual to the next by sexually active men."

— William Whiting
 
 
 

William Meneeley (1952-1996)

Pietà avec Fromage

Photographic printed collage on paper, 10.25 x 7.25”; 16.5 x 13.75" framed, 1987

Permanent Art Collection, William Way LGBT Community Center

"I direct that my body be prepared for cremation without embalming, said cremation suitable to my circumstances and condition in life, the cost of my cremation to be paid out of my estate. I direct that my Executor have my ashes composted and placed in gardens. I also direct that a memorial service be held for me after the manner of the Society of Friends and pagan practice."

— William Meneeley, Last Will and Testament, September 5, 1995
 
 
 

Ralfka Gonzalez

Saint Sebastian Anticipates Prince Charming to Save Him with Divine Love

Acrylic on felt, with cloth, thread and feathers, 48 x 36", 2010

Private collection of David Acosta

"The image [of St. Sebastian] was appropriated by artists during the AIDS epidemic given both the homoerotic nature of a beautiful young man pierced with arrows as well as making reference to pain and agony."

— David Acosta
 
 

Stuart Netsky

Cherub Mourning

Wall relief of AZT and marshmallow, 8 x 6 x 3.5", 1992

"As a gay artst this was the only way I knew to help quell my anxiety — to channel it through my work. And so, I created a body of work which directly addressed the crisis at hand and the overwhelming fear and vulnerability I felt."

— Stuart Netsky
 
 
 
 
 

William Way LGBT Community Center

1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
P: 215-732-2220