January 17, 2024

The Drexel Libraries and the College of Nursing & Health Professions (CNHP) have announced a series of upcoming events, alongside a traveling exhibit set to open at Drexel University this February.

The exhibit, AIDS, Posters, and Stories of Public Health: A People’s History of a Pandemic, is scheduled to open on Monday, February 12, 2024, in the lobby of the Drexel Health Sciences Building at 36th & Filbert Streets in University City. It will be on display at Drexel through March 23, 2024.

The exhibit will feature selections from the National Library of Medicine's archive of public health posters and explore how AIDS posters serve as highly adaptable, durable, cost effective, efficient tools in sharing public health messaging. The posters provide a gateway to AIDS history, illustrating how, in the face of illness, neglect, and, early on, the unknown, people came together to connect, create, and save one another's lives.

The Libraries and CNHP will also co-host an opening reception to kick off the exhibit on Wednesday, February 21 at 4 p.m. in the Health Sciences Building Lobby.

Then on March 5, attend a free screening of the documentary film, How to Survive a Plague. This powerful documentary tells the story of two coalitions—ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group)—whose activism and innovation turned AIDS from a death sentence into a manageable condition.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Dr. Randy Sell, ScD, Professor at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, Department of Community Health and Prevention, who participated in a number of the actions in the film.

The exhibit is free and open to all members of the Drexel community and the general public. Public viewing hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members of the Drexel community with a current Drexel ID may visit the exhibit whenever the Health Sciences Building is open.

Both the opening reception and the film screening are also open to the public. Registration is required for both events, as space is limited.

For more information about the exhibit, events, and related resources, visit the Drexel Libraries’ AIDS Exhibit Resource Guide.