{"id":133359,"date":"2025-04-08T09:05:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=133359"},"modified":"2025-04-08T09:07:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:07:28","slug":"cronkite-news-a-mural-with-a-message-rises-in-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/04\/08\/cronkite-news-a-mural-with-a-message-rises-in-arizona\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: A ‘mural with a message’ rises in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":" \"HIV\/AIDS<\/a>
HIV diagnoses rose 20% percent in Arizona during 2022 compared to the previous year, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Photo by Allison Kotzbauer \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n
\u2018We know we have work to do\u2019: New Phoenix mural raises HIV\/AIDS awareness<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, April 8, 2025<\/div>\r\n
By Allison Kotzbauer<\/div>\r\n
Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n
cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nPHOENIX -\u2014 City officials, HIV\/AIDS activists and health care providers gathered downtown last Wednesday for the unveiling of a new mural at The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe mural at Central Avenue and Portland Street is meant to raise awareness and provide public health information about HIV and AIDS, supporting the city\u2019s initiative to eliminate new HIV diagnoses by 2030.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nPhoenix Mayor Kate Gallego highlighted the importance of the new mural, saying it comes at a crucial time as the federal government has removed public health information about HIV and AIDS from its websites.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWe at the city of Phoenix are stepping up,\u201d Gallego said. \u201cWe want to fill that information gap and make people aware of the best science in this area.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"HIV\/AIDS<\/a>

Muralists Quinn Murphy, left, and Jake Early, right, place a stencil onto the wall of The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness on April 2, 2025. Photo by Allison Kotzbauer \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAccording to the Arizona Department of Health Services, there were 975 new HIV cases in the state in 2022, representing a 20% increase over the previous year.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nGallego acknowledged the rise and emphasized that the city views it as a reason to strengthen its educational efforts, with the mural serving as a key part of that initiative.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWe know we have work to do \u2026 we are not done,\u201d Gallego said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe mural features a QR code that links to public health resources.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s a mural with a message,\u201d Gallego said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"HIV\/AIDS<\/a>

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego speaks to the crowd at the unveiling of a mural with a message about HIV\/AIDS on April 2, 2025, in Phoenix. Photo by Allison Kotzbauer \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe mural, which takes up an entire side of The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness, features bold colors and strokes that spell out the word \u201cLOVE\u201d along with silhouettes and images of a diverse group of people.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIt also features the message of \u201cU=U\u201d (Undetectable = Untransmittable) incorporated into the artwork in hopes that it will educate viewers about the modern reality of living with HIV and advances in treatment.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cWith modern treatment you can get the HIV load to such a point that it can not be transmitted, and we want to make sure that message gets out in the community,\u201d Gallego said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe mural is also a powerful tool in combating the stigma surrounding HIV. By sharing crucial messages like \u201cU=U,\u201d it can help reshape public perceptions and foster understanding of what HIV is like today, said Andrew Rascon, outreach and community engagement manager at Prisma Community Care, which is located in The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"HIV\/AIDS<\/a>

The \u201cU=U\u201d (Undetectable = Untransmittable) message from the mural unveiled April 2, 2025, in Phoenix highlights that individuals with undetectable viral loads cannot transmit HIV to others, aiming to reduce stigma and promote education about the virus. Photo by Allison Kotzbauer \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWhile the mural serves to educate the public, it also symbolizes the progress made in the fight against HIV and AIDS.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cSo many of us here know friends who were impacted or family members who were impacted in the \u201880s and \u201890s, when an end to the endemic was almost unthinkable,\u201d Gallego said. \u201cToday science brings hope. We know that testing, prevention and modern treatments mean people can live longer and healthier lives.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nMuralists Jake Early and Quinn Murphy drew inspiration for the commissioned piece from personal connections to the HIV\/AIDS epidemic. One of Early\u2019s family members contracted HIV in the 1980s as a nurse, and played a pivotal role in shaping the vision for the artwork.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cI have a close family member who was one of the very first health care workers to ever contract HIV through a pin prick,\u201d Early said. \u201cShe was working on the HIV\/AIDS floor of a San Francisco hospital in 1986, and she survived. She\u2019s spent the last 35 to 40 years as a nurse taking care of HIV patients as well as taking care of herself.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nDrawing from the experiences of Early\u2019s family member and others impacted by the virus, the artists sought to create a visual representation of these stories.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cI tried to take her experience and those of her friends and other people she\u2019s connected us with and people here, taking what they said and trying to make it visual,\u201d Early said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"HIV\/AIDS<\/a>

A mural promoting HIV\/AIDS awareness is displayed on the wall of The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness in Phoenix on April 2, 2025. The artwork highlights the importance of prevention, testing and support, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage education within the community. Photo by Allison Kotzbauer \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nCommunity members had the opportunity to contribute the final touches of the mural by participating in the spray-painting process.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe mural was commissioned by Phoenix in partnership with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Southwest Center, one n ten and Aunt Rita\u2019s Foundation with support by Artlink Inc.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nFor more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG>\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\r\n

Note: This story originally appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>. It is published via a Creative Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM>
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