MetroHealth to Host AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibit and Panel-Making Workshop

Once again, The MetroHealth System is bringing the nationwide movement to help preserve the memory of lives lost to AIDS to Cleveland.

MetroHealth will mount an exhibit of panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt December 2-19. On December 15, health system employees and other volunteers from the community will host a panel-making workshop to help family members, partners and friends of those who have died of AIDS-related illnesses to stitch memories of their loved ones into panels that will become part of the Quilt.

The AIDS Quilt, started 37 years ago by activist and author Cleve Jones in San Francisco, tours the country in 12-foot-square blocks of six panels each. MetroHealth has sponsored the exhibit and panel-making workshop in Cleveland every-other year since 2009, with the exception of 2023, when the health system was transitioning to the new Glick Center. After this year, the exhibit and workshop will be hosted every three years.

"The Quilt has become a sacred tribute to the lives of these individuals, whose deaths at one time were being ignored," said Jennifer McMillen Smith, MSSA, LISW-S, Manager, Compass Services, Division of Infectious Disease. "It is a privilege to bring the blocks of Quilt panels to Cleveland and to sit with the loved ones of people from our community - many of whom we have cared for and know well - and help them create these meaningful pieces of art that will become part of this national memorial."

The 15 blocks MetroHealth is bringing to Cleveland this year include several that were created here. They will be on exhibit in three locations: Three will be at the MetroHealth Main Campus Outpatient Plaza near the Pharmacy; four at the LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland and eight at The Darl Center for the Arts, a private art museum established by collector Darl Schaaff in the former Carnegie Library on East 55^th Street.

The Quilt panel workshop will be December 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the LGBTQ Community Center. Volunteers will connect with participants before the workshop to talk about the individuals being honored and help develop visions for the memorial panels. Based on that vision, participants will be encouraged to bring photos and other meaningful items to the workshop, and volunteers will help them design their panels to incorporate those pieces. Sewing supplies and other materials needed for the creation of the Quilt panels will be supplied by MetroHealth. Lunch will be provided. Please register in advance for the panel-making workshop by visiting metrohealth.org/quilt.

The Quilt panels, on exhibit from December 2 through 19, can be viewed at the Darl Art Center from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at MetroHealth and the LGBTQ Community Center during normal open hours for those locations. We are seeking volunteers to sit with the Quilt at each location, please volunteer by visiting metrohealth.org/quilt.