The quilt on the National Mall
By Amy Bergley, Health and Wellness Services intern
PULLMAN – Community members will have the opportunity to view 352 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 30Dec. 2 at the CUB ballroom.
An opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the ballroom will be initiated by Palouse Intertribal Drum.
The quilt was created by gay rights activist Cleve Jones and serves as a visual masterpiece for the community to reflect upon individuals who have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS.
Student organizations and community groups have joined with sponsors (Health & Wellness Services Health Advocates, ASWSU, VPLAC, CUB and SEB) to provide complementary services, including HIV/AIDS testing in Butch’s Den 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, which is World AIDS Day. Counselors will be available to discuss results and provide support and information.
The WSU Blues Duet will provide music. The event will close with an inclusive blessing, readings by students and the Palouse Intertribal Drum.
The quilt is recognized as the largest ongoing community art project in the world.. It began with a single 3×6 foot panel 23 years ago and today includes more than 47,000 panels that educate and generate HIV/AIDS awareness.
Each panel represents an individual’s life. Panels have come from every state in the nation and have been created by friends, lovers and family members in an attempt to transform loss and heartbreak into hope and healing.
The 2010 AIDS Quilt Memorial Event attempts to teach compassion, facilitate triumph over taboos, foster healing, advance social justice and inspire action.
For information about the WSU presentation and related activities, contact Amy Bergley at abergley@wsu.edu or visit www.aidsquilt.org.