AIDS Memorial Quilt

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AIDS Memorial Quilt Since then, The Quilt has been displayed in its entirety in Washington, D.C. four times – in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2012.

The National AIDS Memorial, through the AIDS Memorial Grove, the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and inspiring programs, works to help ensure that the lives of people who died from AIDS are never forgotten. More than 30 years ago a group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront to remember the names of their loved ones they feared history would forget – and with that seemingly simple act of love and defiance, the first panels of The Quilt were created. That same year those first memorials began to travel the nation and in October of 1987, they were display alongside 1,900 other Quilt panels on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. – making it impossible for the world to dismiss or deny AIDS. Today, Nobel Prize-nominated AIDS Memorial Quilt stands as the largest, ongoing community art project in the world. An epic expression of hope and love, The Quilt now weighs more than 54 tons, was created by more than 100,000 individuals and includes more than 5,000, 12-foot by 12-foot blocks. Over the past 30 years, The Quilt has been seen by more than 22 million people around the world, and has raised more than $5 million for direct services for people with HIV/AIDS. In 2005, The Quilt was declared an official American Treasure under the Save America’s Treasures Act – recognizing The Quilt as part of America’s priceless historic legacy and one that helps explain America’s past to future generations. Today, The Quilt weighs 54 tons and includes more than 52,000 panels created by more than 100,000 individuals.

We’re a San Francisco Arts Commission/Grants for the Arts Grantee! 🎉The Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts recently...
10/16/2026

We’re a San Francisco Arts Commission/Grants for the Arts Grantee! 🎉

The Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts recently announced a combined investment in the arts totaling over $25 million, supporting nearly 400 local artists and arts organizations.

This investment will directly support the AIDS Memorial Quilt and National AIDS Memorial's work over the next year to help us continue creating, connecting and contributing to San Francisco’s vibrant arts community.

We’re grateful for this investment in our organization and in the city’s vibrant arts and cultural ecosystem. Thank you, San Francisco Arts Commission, for supporting local artists and arts organizations! Learn more at sf.gov/artscommission

"There exists an international citizenry that has its rights, and has its duties, and that is committed to rise up again...
10/15/2026

"There exists an international citizenry that has its rights, and has its duties, and that is committed to rise up against every abuse of power, no matter who the author, no matter who the victims," Michel Foucault

A victim of France's legal and social prejudice against homosexuality, Michel Foucault was a French philosopher who addressed topics such as power, sexuality and truth. Foucault's works are still taught today, and his story is still remembered today through panels like these. Today, we remember Foucault on what would have been his birthday.

🗣️ Say Michel Foucault's name!

10/11/2026

Happy birthday to Cleve Jones, a human rights activist, author, lecturer and pioneer of the gay liberation movement! Among numerous accomplishments, Cleve is recognized as the founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

"Today we have borne in our arms and on our shoulders a new monument to our nation’s capital. It is not made of granite or steel and was not built by stonecutters and engineers. Our monument is sewn of fabric and thread, and was created in homes across America and wherever friends and families gathered to remember their loved ones lost to AIDS." - Cleve Jones

Thank you for your unrelenting voice and commitment to action in periods of darkness. The way that you have lived your life provides a blueprint for all who strive to fight back against prejudice and hatred.

Eugene "Gene" Ewins's panel was one of the first displayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C. in 1987.Gene's panel was cr...
10/11/2026

Eugene "Gene" Ewins's panel was one of the first displayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C. in 1987.

Gene's panel was crafted by his dear friend, Terry Blankenship, and highlighted Gene's activism with the ARC/AIDS vigil while ensuring he will be remembered. Moved at the sight of their son's panel, Gene's parents crafted a second panel for their son. Gene's sister, Earlene, and brother-in-law visited their brother's panel during the first display in Washington, and made a third panel for Gene. Pictured are Terry and Earlene, images they took at the display, and the three panels made to ensure that Gene will never be forgotten.

"To us, it is our way to make a Memorial to Our Son and to tell others of the Love and Pride we feel for Gene," Charlene and Earle Ewins.

🗣️ As we recognize anniversary of the first display of the Quilt on the National Mall, we remember Eugene and those who are memorialized through the Quilt. Say Gene Ewins's name!

John A. Politano Jr. died at home with his 'MaMa and Daddy' by his side."He was an Artist with his oil paint. He was a P...
10/07/2026

John A. Politano Jr. died at home with his 'MaMa and Daddy' by his side.

"He was an Artist with his oil paint. He was a Poet, he played his guitar," wrote his parents. "He donated time to the elderly. God bless the G**s & Le****ns."

🗣️ Say John A. Politano's name!

Hector Lavoe was more than a singer. The salsa legend was a storyteller with a voice that inspired a generation.Nickname...
09/30/2026

Hector Lavoe was more than a singer. The salsa legend was a storyteller with a voice that inspired a generation.

Nicknamed “El Cantante de Los Cantantes” and “La Voz,” Lavoe moved from Puerto Rico to when he was 17. From battles with addiction, the death of his teenage son, and ongoing mental health struggles, Lavoe was a fighter who persevered throughout his life. complications cut his life short when he was just 46.

Today would have been Lavoe's birthday. 🗣️ Say Hector Lavoe's name and read more about his story: https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/entertainment/remembering-hector-lavoe-30-years/

This month marked one year of workshops at the San Francisco Public Library. Thank you to our incredible volunteers, a...
09/21/2026

This month marked one year of workshops at the San Francisco Public Library.

Thank you to our incredible volunteers, and to the beautiful library, for helping us maintain these memorials for those lost to HIV/AIDS! Our workshops are:

1. Every 1st Saturday of the month at 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (SF Main Library, Steve Silver Music Center - 4th Fl). Noon to 4 pm.

2. Every 4th Saturday of the month at 130 Doolittle Drive, #2 in San Leandro. Noon to 4 pm.

We hope to see you at a Quilt workshop soon! Learn more: https://www.aidsmemorial.org/volunteer-aids-quilt

Today, we celebrated 35 years of the National AIDS Memorial Grove.A fitting celebration of this extraordinary place and ...
09/19/2026

Today, we celebrated 35 years of the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

A fitting celebration of this extraordinary place and the community that has cared for it across generations — with remembrance, reflection, planting, storytelling, connection, and yes, food trucks too. ❤️

Our deepest thanks to Lisa Bransten and San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Jane Stafford and the Gilead Foundation, all of today’s speakers and participants, and especially the volunteers whose hands and hearts have sustained the Grove for 35 years.

There’s much more to share from today. For now, we’re simply grateful to everyone who joined us in marking this milestone.

35 years of remembrance. 35 years of community. And the work continues.

Gilead Sciences

❤️ Dianne Boate lost Tom and Ted, both of her sons, to . Reflecting on their lives, Dianne wrote a heartfelt letter in ...
08/28/2026

❤️ Dianne Boate lost Tom and Ted, both of her sons, to . Reflecting on their lives, Dianne wrote a heartfelt letter in memory of her children.

Dianne's heartfelt letter explores grief, loss, and family through memories of her lost children, spanning childhood trips to Yosemite to their final breaths in hospice care and beyond.

"Along the way I have let go of sad thoughts that would block living well, choked every w**d that would try to strangle me with grief, and have come around to peaceful and fulfilling days on a regular basis."

Read this heartfelt note: https://www.aidsmemorial.org/post/tom-and-ted-boate

Today is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness and address the impact of HIV on people living in the...
08/20/2026

Today is Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness and address the impact of HIV on people living in the Southern US.

When we improve and destigmatize HIV prevention, care, and treatment, we can help . With Gilead Sciences and the Southern AIDS Coalition, our program brought sections of the to communities throughout the South to raise awareness and honor Black and Latinx lives lost to .

Check out some of our Change the Pattern stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqThZvxU-ek&t=74s

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PO Box 2270
San Francisco, CA
94126

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+14157650497

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