Hand-made panels for White, Ashe, and Hudson will be among more than 300 featured at the Jan. 28-31 public exhibit in the Colvard Union ballroom. An opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on the 28th.
"The mission of the NAMES Project is to use the Quilt to help bring an end to the AIDS epidemic and to illustrate the enormity of the epidemic by showing the human side of the statistics," said Lincoln Johnson, union director and chair of the campus coordinating committee.
Display dates and times are 1-9 p.m. on the 28th and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on the 29th and 30th. On the 31st, the exhibit will open at 9 a.m. and end with a closing ceremony at 8 p.m.
Since first displayed in 1987, the Quilt has been visited by more than 5 million people. Each three-by-six-foot panel commemorates the life of someone who has died of the incurable disease. The entire Quilt, which is rarely displayed, contains more than 28,000 panels.
According to government statistics, nearly 200,000 Americans died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome between 1985 and 1993. More than 328,000 new cases were reported during that period.
"As educators, we feel this display can serve an educational purpose on our campus and in the community," Johnson said. "Currently, 18-to-24-year-olds represent the fastest-growing segment of the population with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. Clearly, this is an issue that affects people in Mississippi, the nation and the world."
Along with an introduction to the Quilt, area schools are being invited to participate in a health education program. Johnson said counselors from the university and the community will be on hand to answer questions and encourage students to discuss their reactions to the Quilt.
Also planned are a Quilt Art Contest for local schools and a university essay contest. Prizes will be awarded to winners and entries will be displayed in the Colvard Union.
"We also invite those attending to contribute non-perishable food items to benefit Mississippians who are living with AIDS," Johnson added. "While there is no admission charge to attend, any items we collect and any financial donations we receive will go to Mississippi agencies our committee has designated as beneficiaries."
Those include Whispering Pines Hospice and the Mississippi Episcopal AIDS Committee, both in Jackson; North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo; and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which includes panels from all 50 states and 28 countries, has been displayed in its entirety only four times between 1987 and 1992 in Washington, D.C. The NAMES Project Foundation coordinates displays of portions of the quilt worldwide.
The Quilt was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and again in 1990. "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt" won the Academy Award as the best feature-length documentary film of 1989.
For more information about the Quilt's visit, contact Johnson at 325-2513.
For more information about the school day program or the Quilt Art or Essay Contest, contact John Marszalek at 325-2141.
This World Wide Web version of MSU Memo was modified and updated by Chris Brown.
For information about Mississippi State University, contact msuinfo@ur.msstate.edu
Last modified: Friday, 14-Jun-2002 15:58:59 CDT.
URL: http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/msu_memo/1995/1-12-95/quilt.htm
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution.