World AIDS Museum and Educational Center presents Through the White Door, an HIV/AIDS Documentary Exhibit by Smiley Pool, at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale April 8 - 30

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World AIDS Museum and Educational Center

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2005 | Lilongwe, MalawiOrphans sing and dance at Kanego AIDS Support Organization, one of many groups caring for the country’s AIDS orphans. This image is part of Through the White Door, a free documentary photo exhibition portraying the interconnected human experience of families affected by HIV/AIDS, based on the book by photojournalist Smiley Pool, on display from April 8 - 30 at The Galleria.

The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center will present Through the White Door, a documentary photo project by photojournalist Smiley Pool that portrays the interconnected human experience of families affected by HIV/AIDS, at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale (2414 East Sunrise Blvd.) from April 8 - 30. The exhibition, consisting of 40 poignant images from South Africa, Romania, North Carolina, Texas and beyond, depicts the life struggles and triumphs of children and families affected by HIV/AIDS captured by Pool from his inspirational book of the same name.

The Through the White Door photography project by Pool spans over two decades following a remarkable group of people who faced the HIV/AIDS crisis head-on and saved a generation of children. The project began with two newspaper stories at the Houston Chronicle in the 1990s with the rest of the work completed on his vacation time for the 20 years that followed — around his staff photographer positions at the Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News. Over the years he continued to follow one of the first children in the world on a drug trial for highly active antiretroviral therapy until adulthood, and documented the formation and rise of the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) from the organization’s inception in Texas to what it is today - the largest provider of care and treatment for HIV positive children in the world.

The project culminated with an oversized hardcover book with 212 pages of his photography. Text for the book was written by Jessica Johns Pool, his spouse, who is a writer specializing in health care. Together, TTWD is their way of sharing the stories of the extraordinary and inspirational people they have met along the way.

The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center’s presentation of the Through the White Door exhibit is sponsored by The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale and supported by the Broward County Cultural Council and Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants.

For more information about the Through the White Door photo exhibit, please call (954) 390-0550 or visit www.worldaidsmuseum.org.