NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
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The AIDS Memorial Quilt is an enormous quilt made as a memorial to and celebration of the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes.
The Quilt is maintained and displayed by The NAMES Project Foundation and was started in 1987 in San Francisco by Cleve Jones and a group of volunteers. At the time of its creation, most people who died of AIDS-related causes did not receive funerals and their remains were in fact refused by many funeral homes and cemeteries. Lacking a memorial service or grave site, The Quilt was often the only opportunity survivors had to remember and celebrate their loved ones lives. The Quilt was last displayed in full on The Mall in Washington D.C. in 1996.
Typically a very personalized individual quilt panel is created by the loved ones of someone who has died of AIDS or HIV related causes. Each 3' by 6' panel is the size of a human grave and the panels are donated to The NAMES Project Foundation where they are grouped with other similar panels and assembled into 12' by 12' sections, called "blocks". These blocks are what are seen at local displays of The Quilt, and typically contain 8 individual panels.
The creation of a panel can be very emotional as memorable photos, favorite sayings, or favorite pieces of clothing of the deceased are attached to the panel. Displays of The Quilt can be somber experiences as people view the panels, make connections with those memorialized and realize the tragic loss of life.
In observance of National HIV-Testing Day in June 2004 the 1,000 newest blocks were displayed by the Foundation on the Ellipse in Washington D.C. This was the largest display of The Quilt since it was last displayed in its entirety in October 1996. In fact, the 1,000 blocks displayed consisted of every panel submitted at or after the 1996 display.
Techniques used included patchwork, applique, embroidery, fabric painting, collage, spray paint and needlepoint.
Items and materials included in the panels:
- Fabrics, e.g. lace, suede, leather, mink, taffeta, also Bubble wrap and other kinds of plastic and even metal.
- Decorative items like pearls, quartz crystals, rhinestones, sequins, feathers, buttons.
- Clothing, e.g. jeans, T-shirts, gloves, boots, hats, uniforms, jackets, flip-flops.
- Items of a personal nature, such as human hair, cremation ashes, wedding rings, merit badges and other awards, car keys.
- Unusual items, e.g. stuffed animals, records, jockstraps, condoms and a bowling ball.
The NAMES Project Foundation is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia where the quilt is now housed but has 21 chapters in the United States and more than 40 affiliate organisations world-wide. The AIDS Memorial Quilt itself continues to grow, currently consisting of 5,712 blocks.
External links
HIV - HIV structure and genome - HIV test - Antiretroviral drug - WHO Disease Staging System for HIV Infection and Disease - CDC Classification System for HIV Infection - HIV Disease Progression Rates - HIV vaccine - International AIDS Conferences - International AIDS Society - World AIDS Day - AIDS origin - AIDS pandemic - List of countries by HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate - AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa - AIDS in India - AIDS in the United States - Treatment Action Campaign - UNAIDS - List of AIDS-related topics - Timeline of AIDS - Common misconceptions about HIV and AIDS - Oral polio vaccine AIDS hypothesis - Reappraisal of HIV-AIDS Hypothesis - Duesberg hypothesis - NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt - List of HIV-positive people - People With AIDS Self-Empowerment Movement - AIDS Museum - HIV-positive fictional characters