Colorful quilts hang in cascades in the light-filled atrium of First Baptist Church of Austin in downtown. Each one represents a single block of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, a massive community quilt that spans exhibits across the country.
While the project can only be viewed in its entirety online, 34 blocks will be on display at the church from Aug. 16 to 24, coinciding with Austin Pride. Every block contains eight panels, each stitched with the name of a person who died of AIDS-related illness.
“Each one of these, people made them — their family members, friends,” said Dave Anderson, a co-chair for the local exhibit. “Some people even made their own quilts so that they would never be forgotten.”
The National AIDS Memorial Quilt began in the 1980s as the NAMES Project, an effort to maintain the memory of those whose lives were claimed by the AIDS epidemic. The quilt now contains nearly 50,000 panels made by people across the country.
Local groups work with the national organization to bring quilt blocks together for exhibits. Anderson — who serves as volunteer coordinator for KIND Clinic, a health center that offers HIV care — had the idea to bring an exhibit to the church, where he is a member. Leslie Moore, a fellow church member, joined him as co-chair for the exhibit.
“Our church strives to be a center for faith, justice and the arts in downtown Austin,” Moore said.
The panels at First Baptist Church display the names of around 270 individuals, including some from Texas. Sewn into some panels are mementos — dog tags, neckties, old shirts.
Some of the names may be familiar, like Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became a prominent advocate for AIDS research and education after he was banned from attending school because of his diagnosis. A national grant program for people living with HIV is named for him.
Anderson said the quilt is a reminder of a time when people were ostracized after an HIV diagnosis, which was once considered a death sentence. Today, effective treatments for HIV exist, and people can live full and healthy lives after a diagnosis.
“I get a little bit of a heart tug as people first see [the quilts],” Anderson said. “They are taking in from the heart the stories of things and things that have happened here.”
Exhibit hours can be found on the church's website. Staff from several clinics will be available to help community members get testing information for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. A space is also set up for visitors to contribute their own quilt panels to the national memorial in honor of loved ones.
On Aug. 24 at 6 p.m., the church will host a “Service of Remembrance and Hope” before the quilt blocks are shipped back, including any new panels contributed by the community. The Austin Gay Men’s Chorus and Conspirare will perform.
