AIDS Memorial Quilt to be on display at IMU

A tapestry, made up of everything from T-shirts to teddy bears, commemorates more than 91,00 lives lost to AIDS.

Colorful panels created by friends, families and lovers make up a patchwork quilt that remembers those who have died from the incurable disease.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt will reside in the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall beginning Thursday.

The 520-panel display in Bloomington will be the largest display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in Indiana history. Prior to its upcoming visit, the quilt’s largest display was in 1999.

The quilt initially began as a single panel, but it has now grown to more than 47,000 panels. Each coffin-sized panel commemorates the life of an AIDS victim.

The quilt was created in 1987 in San Francisco and has acted as a traveling memorial.
The Community AIDS Action Group (CAAG) of South Central Indiana, The Names Project and Union Board are bringing the quilt to IU.

“We hope that students will leave the room empowered by the human spirit,” said junior AJ O’Reilly, Union Board Canvas director. “Personally I hope that this will spark a discussion of some kind about AIDS on campus.”

The AIDS Quilt finds relevance in a world that is still plagued by the disease. The quilt not only remembers the deceased but also keeps the disease at the forefront of medicine’s mind.

“I know that this exhibit will serve as a powerful visual reminder that AIDS is still an issue that should be on our radar,” O’Reilly said.

During an opening ceremony, the names of the AIDS victims will be read as the panels are unfolded.

“I would like students who attend to spend time looking at the quilt panels and really think about the fact that each one represents a life lost, many of them in the prime of their lives,” Kathryn Brown, member of CAAG, said. “They should be prepared for an emotional experience.”