The Art Heals Project

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So excited to announce that Whatsinthemirror? has been selected as COMPASS Initiative 2020 Transformative Grant partner! :

Whatsinthemirror? Awarded $52,500 from COMPASS Initiative® to Expand Efforts to Combat HIV in Austin

Funding is Part of Gilead Sciences COMPASS Initiative® to Curb HIV Infection Rate, Reduce Stigma in the South

AUSTIN/TEXAS (Dec. 5, 2019) - Today, Whatsinthemirror? received a $52,500 Transformative Grant from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work as part of the COMPASS Initiative® to build on community-driven solutions that are reducing stigma and improving the health and wellbeing of those impacted by HIV in the South. Whatsinthemirror? will use the funds to support the Art Heals Project.

“Our Art Heals Project will focus on the intersectionality of mental health and HIV prevention work with the focus on persons living with HIV to reduce stigma through art and affirming care and awareness. We are excited to add to the healing justice work that’s being done across the nation.”- Tarik Daniels, Founder/Executive Director

The South faces a growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Despite being home to only 38 percent of the country’s population, Southern states experienced 52 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2017. Due to societal disparities in the South—including poverty, housing stability and food security—the epidemic represents a complex challenge that requires a variety of community-based solutions. COMPASS invests in community organizations that build awareness, reduce stigma, advance education, share knowledge and promote the well-being of individuals affected by HIV.
The COMPASS Initiative® is awarding more than $2.3 million in Transformative Grants to 40 organizations. This one-year grant will help address inequalities within the HIV epidemic by increasing organizational capacity, reducing stigma and promoting wellbeing, mental health, and trauma-informed care.

“We believe in going where the need is greatest, listening to those working on the front lines and providing them the resources they need to scale their success,” said Korab Zuka, Vice President of Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences. “Nowhere is that truer than in the Southern U.S., where HIV infection rates are increasing and finding access to care can be difficult. Last year our transformative grantees helped reduce stigma, train healthcare professionals and expand access in rural communities. We’re excited to see these new grantees bring their creativity and tenacity to end HIV once and for all.”
About the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®
The Gilead COMPASS Initiative® is a 10-year, more than $100 million commitment in the Southern United States supporting organizations working to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The corporate giving program of the Initiative has a threefold mission: to build capacity and increase knowledge sharing among community-based, underfunded organizations in Southern states; to explore interventions that appropriately respond to patients' needs, including the bundling or reframing of mental healthcare, as well as the intersection between substance use, the opioid epidemic and HIV/AIDS; and to fund awareness and anti-stigma campaigns. Through this Initiative, Gilead plans to dramatically increase the reach of these organizations working to address the epidemic in the region, and ultimately to improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS.
For more information on Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative and the full list of grantees visit