AIDS Memorial Quilt-Making Workshops

Floor 3, Susan and John Hess Family Gallery and Theater

Friday, October 14, 5–9 pm

Saturday, October 15, 10:30 am–2:30 pm

Saturday, October 15, 3–7 pm

The Whitney is proud to partner with the New York City AIDS Memorial, textile design studio Maharam, and the National AIDS Memorial on a series of free, public Community AIDS Memorial Quilt-Making Workshops at the Whitney Museum of American Art to mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, the response of the creative community has been essential in raising awareness and support for those affected by the disease. In this spirit, we have invited artists and collaborators to lead a series of quilting workshops at which members of the public who have been impacted by the epidemic can create new panels that will be added to the Quilt.

Over the course of two days, these three workshops will provide a forum for cross-generational conversation, continuing the intention of the activists who first imagined the Quilt—to inform, to share, and to build community. The workshops will also be attended by the National AIDS Memorial’s Gert McMullin, one of the six activists who began the Quilt in 1987 and who has managed, maintained, and conserved the artwork ever since. Each workshop can accommodate the creation of sixteen new quilt panels. If attendees have a particular person in mind to memorialize, they should bring a letter about this person, and any photographs, ephemera, or mementos they would like to include in the quilt panel. Textiles and other quilting materials will be supplied by Maharam.

Participating artists include: Polly Apfelbaum, Chris Bogia, Travis Boyer, Justin Chance, Stephanie Crawford, Poppy DeltaDawn, Daniele Frazier, Peter Hristoff, Anthony Iacono, Caitlin Keogh, Mike Linskie, Reverend Joyce McDonald, Sophy Naess, Jordan Nassar, Jessi Reaves, Elaine Reichek, Tuesday Smillie, Alessandro Teoldi, and Qualeasha Wood.

The New York City AIDS Memorial is a part of the Whitney Education Community Advisory Network. Click here for more information on the New York City AIDS Memorial.

Support for these workshops has been generously provided by the New York City Council Speaker Initiative (LGBTQ+ Caucus) and the National AIDS Memorial, San Francisco.

This event is free but registration is required.