It may not be something you think about every day, but at the same time, maybe it should be.

The AIDS crisis has affected our world, our nation and our communities immeasurably. It has shocked us. It has scarred us. And it has taken away from us.

The Palmer Museum's current exhibit focuses on the void that AIDS has left in the world of visual arts and the impact the virus has had on artists and the art world. Tomorrow, in conjunction with an exhibition currently on display, the museum will participate in A Day With(out) Art, a World AIDS Day initiative in memory and mourning of those lost to AIDS and an effort to promote a broader awareness of the AIDS virus and the devastating effects it has had, and continues to have, on our lives.

The observance of this day serves also to bring attention to Penn State's HIV/AIDS Awareness Week.

Day With(out) Art began in 1989 when nearly 800 museums across the nation participated by shutting down, sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services, or showing AIDS-related exhibitions.

To date, Day With(out) Art has expanded into a worldwide project, involving approximately 8,000 museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS service organizations, libraries, colleges and high schools.

Symbolizing the many lives lost and affected by AIDS, the Palmer will make the bronze paws that adorn the museum's entrance "disappear," draping cloth over them to hide them from view. The Geldzahler Portfolio, a collection of art works gathered by the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS to honor Henry Geldzahler, is on display at the Palmer as well.

Geldzahler was an art historian and museum curator who devoted limitless efforts and energy to promoting progress in AIDS-related causes and advocated the work of young artists throughout his lifetime.

Due to the medications and treatments now available that allow people with HIV/AIDS to live longer and more normal lives, many people seem to have forgotten the reality and the severity of the AIDS epidemic, said museum educator Dana Carlisle Kletchka.

"The ultimate goal (of the exhibit) is to remind people that this is still happening," Carlisle Kletchka said.

"An amazing amount of creativity has been lost in the world," Kletchka added. "It's unspeakable, really. And it's still a really big problem."

The Geldzahler Portfolio includes a variety of works, from simplistic, geometric pieces from artists such as Ellsworth Kelly to vibrant, collage-like screen-prints from the renowned Jasper Johns.

The artists, all of whom were in some way affected by the life and legacy of Geldzahler, created the featured works with the knowledge that their purpose was to honor the curator, said Carlisle Kletchka.

The collective works serve to paint a portrait of the radiance and beauty of Geldzahler's persona and life's mission, Carlisle Kletchka said.

The Geldzahler Portfolio will remain on display until Feb. 10.