A panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in Nashville for the first time in 15 years.
The quilt, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, will be unveiled at a community reception on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta.
The quilt’s story began in June 1987 when a small group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront with the goal to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS. This meeting of devoted friends and lovers served as the foundation of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Today, the quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 48,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels — most commemorating the life of someone who has died of AIDS — have been sewn together by friends, lovers and family members.
Since 1987, more than 14 million people have visited the quilt at thousands of displays worldwide. It was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and remains the largest community art project in the world.
GO SEE IT: To RSVP for the unveiling event or to request accommodations in connection with it, please e-mail Sandy Smith at sdsmith@aii.edu or call (615) 514-3835.
The 12-foot by 12-foot historic panel will be open for public viewing at the campus through October 27 and is open and free to the general public. The Art Institute is located at 100 Centerview Drive, Nashville.
— Press release provided by The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville
