With AIDS 2012 (International AIDS Conference) right around the corner, and the 25th anniversary of The AIDS Memorial Quilt, this year Washington, DC is becoming a hub for HIV/AIDS awareness.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt, originally conceived of in 1987, in San Francisco, has now become an international symbol of the human toll of the AIDS epidemic as it aims to “inspire action in the age of AIDS.”
Weighing 54 tons and encompassing 1.3 million square feet (50 miles) the Quilt is comprised of 48,000 individual panels dedicated to more than 94,000 individuals; It is now too large to be displayed in any one location but will be shown in 50 venues throughout the capital this summer.
Now through Sunday July 8th, 8,000 panels will be displayed on the National Mall as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. During AIDS 2012 -July 21st through July 24th- an additional 4,800 panels will be featured in more than 50 venues throughout the region and 35,200 panels will be on display on the National Mall from 8th to 14th Streets.
For more information, visit Quilt2012.org or search the quilt online here.
