Palm Moiré: A Fundraiser for California HIV/AIDS Programs

I’m raising money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center again, and I’m giving away artwork to donors! This piece, titled Palm Moiré, features nested paper sculptures with delicate palm leaf cutouts. This work is an edition of five, and I’ll be giving away all five copies to people who make donations in the next two weeks. 100% of the money raised will go to these two organizations, both of which do critical work to support people living with HIV and AIDS in California.

There are two ways to participate:

Raffle: Two of the five framed paper sculptures will be raffled off. Every $20 that you donate toward my fundraiser by Thursday, May 19, 2022 counts as one ticket. On May 20, I’ll randomly select two winners to receive artworks. To enter, make a donation with a credit card on my fundraising page. Consider donating in multiples of $20. For example, $40 = 2 tickets, $200 = 10 tickets, etc. The raffle will not be capped, so your odds of winning depend on how much money is donated by May 19.

Buy It Now: Three of the five framed paper sculptures will be “sold” for $700 each. If you have a large budget and want a guaranteed purchase, this option is for you! First come, first served. To enter, email me at zai@zaidivecha.com before you make your donation to ensure that this option is still available. Once approved, you can donate $700 with a credit card on my fundraising page. (Note: Buy It Now donations will not be entered in the raffle.) UPDATE: All three Buy It Now pieces have been claimed! That was fast! Please enter the raffle instead!

All artworks will be shipped the first week of June, 2022. All donations are tax-deductible.

Title: Palm Moiré
Edition size: 5
Materials: Paper
Dimensions: 9.75”h x 9.75”w x 1.5”d unframed; 10.75”h x 10.75”w x 2”d framed
Date: 2022

Asterism

This triptych is now available in my online shop! I currently have three sets for sale. I will be donating 20% of the money to The Farmworker Project’s Fire Relief Fund. California farmworkers are experiencing a double whammy of unsafe work conditions because of the fires and Covid, and this money will go straight to farmworkers as hazard pay. Link to purchase in profile.

This triptych is named Asterism, which refers to a small collection of stars that’s smaller than a constellation. The Big Dipper is technically an asterism, because it’s part of the Ursa Major constellation. And in the typography world, an asterism is a set of three asterisks in a pyramid: ⁂

Black Lives Matter Art Raffle

UPDATE: We raised nearly $9,000! Thank you!

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Eleven other Bay Area artists and I are raising money for racial justice efforts. We’re each donating a piece of artwork to raffle off. Each raffle ticket costs $5, and the money will be split equally between six racial justice organizations. Tap or click to enlarge the images below to find out how to enter the raffle. Additional raffle details here.

This raffle is hosted by Jen Woo of Rogue Habits and neon artist Meryl Pataky. The money raised will support AAACC, Anti-Police Terror Project, Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, and So Oakland.

Participating artists include Aleksandra Zee, Erin Fong, Frankie Tobin, Katie Gong, Meghan Shimek, Meryl Pataky, Nipomo, Sam Lee, Stephanie Intelisano, West Perro, Whitney Sharpe of Latch Key Ceramics, Zai Divecha.

Thank you your support. Black lives matter. Let’s put our money where our mouths are.

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HIV/AIDS Diagnoses in San Francisco

I created this four-part series to show how HIV/AIDS diagnoses in San Francisco have changed over the last couple decades:

Fun fact: Before I started working as an artist, I studied public health. As a college student, I taught sex education in local high schools, I interned at reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS nonprofits, and I got a public health master’s degree from Yale. Even though I’m not in the field these days, I still care deeply about a few key issues, and HIV/AIDS is one of them.

In this series, I wanted to use a visual medium to tell this heartbreaking (and hopeful) story about AIDS in my area. I put on my public health hat for a bit as I dug through the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s annual reports from the last 30 years, and then I put on my artist hat to figure out how to visually represent the figures in a compelling manner.

AIDS DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 1992

In this series, I chose to represent one person with one tear drop. At the height of the epidemic in San Francisco in 1992, there wer 2,328 people diagnosed with AIDS.

AIDS DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2000

By the year 2000, the incidence of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in San Francisco had fallen a bit, due to the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART; also known as the “AIDS cocktail”). Scientists and doctors were definitely a part of the equation, but I want to talk about the activists who helped drive this change.

Some background: It took the government an unconscionably long time to acknowledge the AIDS crisis. Over 5,500 Americans died of AIDS before President Reagan even *mentioned* the word “AIDS” in public. There was nowhere near enough research, funding, or awareness — and way too much homophobia and stigma. A generation of queer men was dying.

We have activist groups like ACT UP to thank for forcing people to pay attention. They staged all kinds of demonstrations — from protests at city hall to civil disobedience on Wall Street to stunts at pharmaceutical companies and the FDA — to draw attention to the epidemic. And ultimately, they ended up working with the FDA to change how experimental drugs are tested and accessed. We owe so much to these early activists and their outrage — not just life-saving antiretroviral therapies, but a whole new model of patient advocacy.

Earlier this year, NPR did a fantastic segment on these early AIDS activists, and how they laid the groundwork for future health activism. If you’re curious, read (or listen) to hear more about ACT UP’s incredible tactics.

HIV DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2009

Every year, I raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I do this annual bike ride called AIDS/LifeCycle, which goes from SF to LA — 545 miles over seven days — each June. Over 2,000 people ride in it each year, and another 700 or so volunteer to help support the ride. This event usually raises about $16M for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

It’s an incredibly diverse and kind community that comes together every year for this one cause. Some folks are HIV-positive themselves, some ride to honor a loved one, and others do it for the sense of community and solidarity. The group spans generations — older folks in the AIDS/LifeCycle community share their stories of loss, grief, and hope; younger folks like me who didn’t live through the worst years carry the torch to honor their struggle. Together, we’re working toward a future without HIV and AIDS.

I’ve done this ride seven times, and I’ve raised over $40,000 for the cause. In 2020, I’ll be riding (and fundraising!) for my eighth time. If you feel inspired to donate, here's the link.

HIV DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2018

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is one of the reasons that this rate has fallen so much in our area. They provide critical, life-saving work to folks in our community who are living with or at risk for HIV. And it’s not just the usual prevention, testing, and treatment options — it’s holistic care that includes sexual health, substance use, and social support services. One of my reasons for creating this series was to show people who have donated to my fundraisers in the past what kind of an impact these organizations have had.

Zai's Annual HIV/AIDS Fundraiser

Every year, I raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. I've raised $35,000 for the cause so far, and I'm planning to raise another $3,000 in the next month. In the past, I've raffled off a handful of prizes. This year, I'm switching it up a bit by guaranteeing a prize to everyone who donates a given amount! 

Here's how it works:

  1. Decide which reward below you'd like to "purchase"
  2. Donate that amount here with a credit card: http://tofighthiv.org/goto/zai2018
  3. I'll send you a separate invoice for the shipping cost
  4. I'll ship you your reward!

Additionally, everyone who donates any amount under $50 will get one ticket in a raffle to win a small pleated paper piece or an enamel pin. Thus, everyone has a shot at winning something, no matter how small the donation. 

Fine print: I'm capping my fundraiser at $3,000. Once I hit $3,000, you can still donate, but I can't guarantee any rewards. 100% of the donated money goes to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, two organizations that are doing critical, life-saving work to support people in my community. The shipping fees go to me, just to cover my shipping costs. 

$50 (plus shipping): One enamel pin

$100 (plus shipping): One small pleated paper piece

$200 (plus shipping): One medium pleated paper piece

$300 (plus shipping): One large pleated paper piece

$500 (plus shipping): Large pleated paper piece + I will bike up the infamous Quadbuster hill an additional time

Under $50: One ticket in raffle to win a small pleated paper piece or an enamel pin

Some backstory:

This June, I'll be participating in AIDS/LifeCycle for my seventh year in a row. AIDS/LifeCycle, for those of you who have never met me, is a seven-day, 545-mile bike ride from SF to LA. It's a massive fundraiser that supports the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, two organizations that are doing critical, life-saving work to curb the AIDS epidemic in California. This video about the ride will make you laugh, cry, and want to sign up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoxJ6G5OKTg

I participate in AIDS/LifeCycle every year for a number of reasons. I first got involved because the focus of my master's thesis research was HIV/AIDS, STIs, and sexual and reproductive health, and I wanted to find ways to support the cause outside of academia. I fell in love with AIDS/LifeCycle, and I kept coming back for more.

This will be my seventh year in a row participating in AIDS/LifeCycle. Prior to this year, I've personally raised $35,000 for the cause, and for two of those years, I was founder and captain of the Box Team, which raised over $130,000 while I was in charge. I'm currently a training ride leader for AIDS/LifeCycle, and spend most of my weekends leading rides and supporting people new to the community.

I ride because I have friends who have have been touched by HIV or AIDS, and I see that the fight isn't over. I ride because the federal government still refuses to fund effective harm-reduction programs like clean needle exchanges -- which means that we rely on private donations to keep these services afloat. I ride because I love the AIDS/LifeCycle community -- including everyone who has ever donated! -- and what we can accomplish together!

Recap: Sama [UN]GALA

Last night, I had two pieces on display at the Sama [UN]Gala at Gallery 308 at Fort Mason in San Francisco. The event is an annual fundraiser for Sama, an international organization that connects marginalized people in East Africa, Haiti, and India with dignified work via the internet. All money raised at last night's gala went to support their programs.

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