The AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall

On October 11, 1987, a team of 48 volunteers carefully unfolded 1,920 panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. Displayed in sections, the quilt covered more ground than a football field. On each of the panels were names of those who died of AIDS.San Franciscan gay rights activist Cleve Jones and his friends first envisioned the idea for the quilt in 1985 when they put together a memorial by writing the names of lost loved ones on paper placards. Inspired by the project, they founded the NAMES Project Foundation to create a more enduring memorial with textile arts.

National Mall, NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, Washington, D.C.

National Mall D.C. art exhibit imagines new monuments - Axios Washington D.C.

Washington AIDS Partnership Celebrates 35 Years of Philanthropic Impact in DC — Greater Washington Community Foundation

7,951 Art Aids America Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images - Getty Images

Aids Quilt Canvas Print / Canvas Art by Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library Of Congress - Pixels Canvas Prints

Quilt Inspiration: The AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

147 The Aids Memorial Quilt Dedication Stock Photos, High-Res Pictures, and Images - Getty Images

AIDS Quilt

TCM Celebrates Pride With a Night of True LGBTQ+ Stories