AIDS Memorial Quilt on display in Wilmington ahead of World AIDS Day
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — World AIDS Day is on Thursday, and portions of the AIDS quilt are back in Wilmington to honor the day.
SEEDS of Healing, Inc. is presenting panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt in recognition of World AIDS Day in several locations across Wilmington. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a form of activism and a wake-up call to end HIV/AIDS stigma. The art piece is a premier symbol of the AIDS epidemic, weighing approximately 54 tons and including 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals.
St. Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church is hosting two panels of the quilt in its sanctuary. The church hosted a meditation memorial where people shared personal stories, lit candles in memory of loved ones, and recognized those honored on the panels.
Reverend John McLaughlin says the founding of the church is fundamentally connected to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“We were founded primarily as an outreach to the LGBT community and when AIDS hit in the 80s we were there to help, nurture, and care for people with AIDS and their families and friends. So we’re very honored to be a venue.”
Since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, there has been an estimated 40.1 million related deaths. As of 2021, 38.4 million people were living with an HIV diagnosis worldwide. World AIDS Day commemorates the lives lost to HIV/AIDS and inspires others to join the fight against HIV stigma.
Panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on exhibit from November 26, 2022, until January 31, 2023 at the following locations in Wilmington.
St Jude’s Metropolitan Community Church
November 30th at 5:30 p.m. meditation memorial (open to the public):
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
November 30 to January 29, 2023
Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
(open to the public)
December 1 to January 29, 2023
Free admission on December 1, World AIDS Day
Museum Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursdays: Open late until 9:00 p.m.
December 1 to January 29, 2023 at Betty Cameron Women and Children’s Hospital and NHRMC
December 3rd at 1:00 p.m. (ticketed occasion) at the Cameron Art Museum
