AIDS Memorial Art Project Heads To SF Library This Weekend

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – There’s an opportunity to witness and contribute to history this weekend – by taking part in the “National AIDS Memorial Quilt Repair & Panel Making Workshop” Saturday.

The hands-on workshop, happening in the San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., will involve helping repair and maintain panels of the historic AIDS Memorial Quilt to “ensure this important memorial can be shared for generations to come,” according to National AIDS Memorial staff.

Preservation efforts will include reattaching loose seams, replacing missing elements such as lettering, adding backing fabric for fragile sections, and spot cleaning, as detailed in the event announcement.

The workshop is described as a safe and welcoming space where, in addition to repairing quilt panels, individuals can obtain panel ideas and support and start working on new panels of their own for loved ones.

The National AIDS Memorial website notes that the AIDS Memorial Quilt is considered the “largest community arts project in history.” In making a memorial quilt panel, individuals and groups “honor, remember and celebrate” the stories of those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS.

The quilt was conceptualized by human rights activist Cleve Jones in November 1985; he created the first panel in memory of a friend.

In its entirety, it now weighs over 50 tons and consists of nearly 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals, according to National AIDS Memorial representatives.

At the workshop, sewing machines, paints, stencils, thread and other materials will be provided, and sewing experience is not required. Attendees are encouraged to bring fabric or personal items (e.g. photos, pins, jewelry) that they’d like to include on a panel.

“This is also a space for community connection and healing. Whether you’re actively grieving or simply looking to be in supportive company, you’ll find care and guidance here,” the event announcement reads.

San Francisco is also home to the 10-acre National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park.

To learn more about the AIDS Memorial Quilt and its panel makers, watch this video.

The San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library is located at 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco. The workshop will take place in the library’s Steve Silver Music Center on the fourth floor.