In 1988, New York curators and critics William Olander, Robert Atkins, Thomas Sokolowski, and Gary Garrels (then Director of Programs at Dia Art Foundation),[5] created Visual AIDS, a loosely-organized coalition of arts professionals working to encourage discussion of the pressing social issues of the AIDS epidemic, with artist Patrick O'Connell as their founding executive director.
[5] Every year Visual AIDS presents the "Bill Olander Award" to art workers or artists living with HIV.
In NYC Visual AIDS offers additional services like artwork photography, tours, and Art Therapy Workshops.
[7] In 2020 Visual AIDS launched online platform, “Not Over” featuring rare videos and performances.
[8] They also commissioned short videos from different parts of the world that address different experiences of HIV/AIDS for the online program TRANSMISSIONS that premiered on the Day With(out) Art 2020.