Thank you to our Quilt partners for hosting this statewide display. Click on the organization name to visit its display or scroll down to view all the Quilt displays. Each Quilt display has the corresponding block numbers and the thumbnail images can be enlarged by clicking on them for a closer look at the details of the panels. A curated story is provided by each Quilt host, linking to their organization website to learn more about their work in the community. See the full list of displays by state and territory.
Display Hosts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology • American International College • Salem State University
Display Host: Massachusetts Institute of Technology - In 1990, MIT was selected by the NAMES Project Foundation to host the Quilt at the Howard Johnson Athletic Center ice rink as part of a nation-wide tour. According to local news reports, nearly 20,000 people visited the 3-day display with 500 volunteers participating. This was the second time the Quilt was displayed in Massachusetts and helped raise $22,800 for local AIDS programs. At the time, Kathryn Lombardi, executive assistant to the MIT president was quoted as saying, "The feeling was that it is important to have the quilt here for the sake of students, faculty, and staff, as well as to do a service for the community. AIDS is one of the critical issues of our time, and dealing with these issues is what MIT is all about." Julia Sawabini, a co-coordinator of the NAMES Project of Boston added, “Both MIT and the NAMES Project are doing everything we can to ensure that as many people as possible will be able to view the quilt." The three-day display included an unfolding ceremony every morning, a periodic reading of names of those who had died of AIDS, and a candlelight march sponsored by local AIDS services agencies. In addition, local AIDS groups set up educational booths. This virtual display highlights a few of the Quilt blocks that were on display as part of the 1990 125-block display.
Display Host: American International College - In 2017, American International College (AIC) hosted 20 sections of the Quilt at the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center in recognition of World AIDS Day and in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of its beginning, According to local news reports featured on MIT’s website, Mary Ellen Lowney of Chicopee said, “It makes me feel like I’m going to cry. I remember the AIDs epidemic back in those days, so many young people died.” At AIC we believe all about inclusion and it is not so much awareness and acceptance of one another's differences, it is really the appreciation of those differences that bind us together as a college community. This virtual display features sections from the 2015 display and Quilt panels of importance to its students, faculty and staff.
Display Host: Salem State University - In 2019, Salem State University hosted an event on World AIDS Day that displayed multiple sections of the AIDS Quilt on our campus. This event was incredibly powerful to those who attended, and truly allowed our campus community to see and feel the meaning behind the project, as well as the true devastation caused by the AIDS pandemic. The Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, and Diversity (LEAD) office along with The Alliance student organization provided dialogues, moments of silence/remembrance, and informational materials to accompany the display. Though we cannot provide this event in person this year, we hope that our community will take in these pieces virtually, while understanding that recognizing and remembering the past is just as important as fighting for the future.
INTERACTIVE AIDS QUILT
Search the AIDS Memorial Quilt, view each panel, search for a friend or loved one and share
your story through our social media channels - learn more
HISTORY OF THE QUILT
Conceived in 1985 by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones - learn more
REFLECTIONS FROM CLEVE
Conceived in 1985 by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones- watch the video
2020/40 STORIES
Memories of individuals who died of AIDS, stories of survivors and caregivers and advocates, and the broader story of the AIDS epidemic - learn more
SUPPORT THE MEMORIAL
Our vision is that never again will a community be harmed because of fear, silence, discrimination, or stigma. - Donate now
WORLD AIDS DAY
Powerful voices from AIDS and Covid-19 pandemics. Remembering lost loved ones and celebrating their lives - event details