This art unit introduces the students to a series of paintings entitled, "Portraits of the Healing Community," as a way of increasing HIV/AIDS awareness in middle school students. The Healing Community is a family of summer camps founded in Maine in 1992. It functions in Rhode Island and New Jersey, and now enters its ninth year of operation. These portraits are celebratory in nature representing campers, their parents, staff, and volunteers as families living with AIDS. Painted in acrylic, the series also introduces students to a variety of techniques and media.
The object of the unit is to increase the students' awareness of HIV/AIDS through viewing these paintings, and then create a self-portrait that connects their personal self-awareness with their sense of community.
Art used in the context of AIDS Education through drawing and painting explores painting and drawing as a healing experience.
(Developed for Art, grade 8; recommended for Art, grade 8)
