The National AIDS Memorial announced today that Sarah Frank, a freshman at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island is the second recipient of the Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award. The Award honors the life of Mary Bowman, the young poet, advocate, author, and singer living with AIDS, who passed away in early 2019 at the age of 30.
Funded through a multi-year grant from ViiV Healthcare, the Award offers support to artist-activists who are working and committed to making a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS and advancing social justice.
“We are pleased to honor novelist, poet and performer Sarah Frank with this year’s Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award,” said John Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Memorial. “Sarah’s poetry reflects on her personal experiences that raise awareness and inspire action.”
Sarah, a freshman at Brown University studying writing and psychology, is a novelist, poet, and performer. In addition, she is the founder of Studyist, a nonprofit that combats education inequity. An author of four published books, Sarah performs in poetry readings, has spoken to over 5,000 students at elementary/middle schools, and has competed in numerous poetry competitions. Sara writes about everything from her own life to the lives of those around her, from history to the current state of the world. She writes and performs her poems as a catalyst for change, with particular focus on anti-semitism, feminism and climate change.
“Sarah believes that her poetry can do two major things for social advocacy – bring awareness and trigger action. Like Mary Bowman, Sarah is not afraid to speak up. Mary Bowman took what she had gone through and what she noticed about the world and used it as fuel for her fire. And while for different causes, Sarah does the same thing. As Mary said, poetry is universal. Poetry can be written in one language but understood by them all,” continued Cunningham.
“As a Jewish person, I have experienced antisemitism firsthand,” said Sarah Frank. “I performed one of my pieces about the Holocaust at a poetry reading. Afterwards, I was approached by someone who told me my piece reminded them that there is still much work to do to combat antisemitism. I plan to use this scholarship to continue lending my voice and my poetry to raise greater awareness around stigma, bigotry, health and social justice.”
ViiV Healthcare has supported the multi-year program with more than $100,000 in funding to the National AIDS Memorial. In 2022, two $5,000 awards will be granted to eligible artist-activists and a fellowship program will also be established.
ViiV Healthcare recognizes the power of culture to break down HIV/AIDS stigma and isolation, and the company proudly supports arts and culture programs that engage and inspire individuals and communities in the fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A beautifully-produced video tribute to Bowman, created by the National AIDS Memorial through the support of ViiV Healthcare, captures that spirit and Bowman’s life and work.
Born with HIV, Bowman lived out her experiences of growing up and living with HIV (and losing a mother to AIDS) through her art. As a young, out, woman of color, she was a dynamic, vital voice for the next generation of individuals living with HIV -- proud, willing to speak of her own challenges beyond HIV -- and also a fierce advocate for other young people with HIV for whom a voice was lacking. For Bowman, the arts gave her the platform and voice to channel her creative energy, her passion, her truth.
Details about the application process and requirements for the award can be found at www.aidsmemorial.org/
