Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS (Organization)

Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS (Photographers + Friends) was founded in New York City by photographers' representative Joe Hartney in 1988, and officially incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1989. Through fundraising and outreach, Photographers + Friends financially supported AIDS organizations while simultaneously raising awareness of the crisis. To this end, Photographers + Friends provided administrative and curatorial support for exhibitions, portfolios, auctions, and other fundraising events and initiatives. Exhibits, though débuted in New York City, often traveled to other cities and were represented at national photographic expositions. Photographers + Friends tapped into the munificence of the photographic community and to an underutilized community of funders to raise over three million dollars to help fund local care initiatives, medical research, public policy and advocacy, and educational programs. Additionally, the organization sought to publish high quality catalogs and educational pamphlets to accompany their exhibits. In the mid-1990s, Photographers + Friends folded as it became part of DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS).

Photographers + Friends first project, The Indomitable Spirit consisted of three components: an exhibit that toured nationally, an auction of photographs from the exhibit at Sotheby's, and the sale of fifty limited edition portfolios. The Indomitable Spirit debuted in 1990 at the International Center of Photography in New York, before traveling to the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. At the helm of the exhibition were the first Executive Director, Lisa Cremin, and the curator, Marvin Heiferman. Photographers who donated work included Cindy Sherman, Bruce Weber, John Baldessari, Annette Lemieux, Richard Prince, and Duane Michals. In 1991, Photographers + Friends curated a second exhibition and portfolio, on a slightly smaller scale at twenty-five editions, entitled In a Dream . It was exhibited that spring at the Robert Miller Gallery. Artists who contributed to this portfolio included Tina Barney, Sarah Charlesworth, Alfredo Jaar, Frank Majore, McDermott & McGough, Thomas Ruff, Andres Serrano, Lorna Simpson, Jeff Wall, James Welling, and Joel-Peter Witkin. In addition to the exhibitions and portfolios, Photographers + Friends organized an exhibit entitled Brian Weil: The AIDS Photographs and sold limited edition, individual photographs donated by the estates of Laurie Simmons, WeeGee, and Gerry Winogrand.

After Joseph Hartney's death in 1991, the organization continued under the guidance of William (Bill) M. Hunt. Reflecting the economic situation of the early-1990's, Photographers + Friends moved away from its previous exhibit/portfolio fundraising structure. In 1993, they launched the All In a Day's Work Program, originally called I Gave at the Studio, which encouraged photographers and other industry professionals to donate their daily rate to Photographers + Friends. This program involved a collaboration with Absolut Vodka entitled "Absolut Images" where photographers created an Absolut ads and all of the fees and proceeds went to Photographers + Friends. The last event Photographers + Friends organized was a collaboration with DIFFA in 1996 called Maximum Exposure, an evening party where donors had the opportunity to receive star treatment and have their pictures taken by top photographers.

From the guide to the Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS, 1988-1996, 1988-1993, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)