From Student Sean Kelley, Art & Human Rights project:

The Aids Quilt

Cleve Jones is a gay activist, and author.  He was a co-founder of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and was the artist behind the creation of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.  His quilt was made in honor of his deceased friend Marvin Feldman.  Through the patchwork of names, Jones sought to have people see how great the issue of AIDS really was in America, and hope to win them over to help aid the cause to make positive change.

The quilt was first created on the San Francisco Federal Building after a gay rights march, but after such a huge reaction from the public, was then moved to the National Mall in Washington D.C. in 1987.  The wall is a series of placards designed with the names of those who have suffered and died due to AIDS.  Today, there are many sites in which the AIDS quilt can be seen, as more chapters have been added in Kansas, Georgia, and New York.  The last time the quilt was seen in its entirety was 1996.   It is designed to shock the public on how many people have died from the disease, and to show the individuality of all the people who have died from Aids.  The goal was to give AIDS more attention and more donations of money.  Although, the government was helping to fight AIDS more than in the past, people were still dying at a rampant rate and people suffering from the disease were being excluded from society.

The Quilt was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.  It remains the largest art project in the United States, as panels are dispersed throughout the country, some even in elementary schools.  Some people may not believe that AIDS is a relevant issue and oppose having the panels in their city or state, but I could not find any articles on controversy surrounding it.

The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt is still growing today.  One can register to add a panel of their loved one, or apply to host some of the panels in their city.  This piece of art made international news when it laid across the national mall and different periods of time.  It brought awareness of the AIDS issue to people that the issue was not necessarily affecting.  It forced many people to view the disease as a serious issue that had to be dealt with.  I think that this project is really awesome.  I think art like this is so inspiring and long-lasting because it has the potential to grow throughout the years and can be seen on all different parts of the nation.  It creates a culture that refuses to let people be dehumanized, which I love.