Started in the summer of 1987 in San Francisco as a way to document the lives of people who had died of AIDS, and to help people understand the impact of this devastating disease, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has grown into the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. Each of the more than 44,000 colorful panels memorializes the life of a person lost to AIDS. As the epidemic claims more lives, the Quilt is a powerful tool for prevention; it continues to grow and to reach more communities with its messages of remembrance, awareness and hope.
