JAMA - A Cover Without Art

Did you notice that this week's issue of JAMA is missing a cover image? It has become a tradition for JAMA to omit a cover image on the theme issue devoted to HIV/AIDS. Once again they are observing this tradition. A Cover Without Art appeared previously on July 10, 1996; July 1, 1998; July 12, 2000; July 10, 2002; July 14, 2004; and August 16, 2006.

On a similar thread, Day Without Art (DWA) began in 1989 as the national day of action and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis. To make the public aware that AIDS can touch everyone, and inspire positive action, some 800 U.S. art and AIDS groups participated in the first Day Without Art, shutting down museums, sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services, or sponsoring special exhibitions of work about AIDS. Since then, Day With(out) Art has grown into a collaborative project in which an estimated 8,000 museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS Service Organizations, libraries, high schools and colleges take part on both the national and international levels.

Celebrating Archives Week (Oct. 22-26)

Hundreds of organizations in the archival community across North Carolina will celebrate Archives Week starting Oct 22nd. Medical Center Archives will observe this celebration with commemorative exhibits, including one in the Medical Center Library focusing on the sketches, caricatures, and drawings of Robert L. Blake (1943-1988), Coordinator, Department of Medical Illustration, Duke University School of Medicine.

Another exhibit is designed to familiarize viewers with the wealth of cultural and historical materials pertaining to the Medical Center that are available at the Archives. It will be located at the entrance to the Mary Duke Biddle Rare Book Room in the Perkins Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

Please contact Mira Waller at mira.waller@duke.edu or (919) 383-2653 with any questions and/or suggestions for future exhibits.