"Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding The AIDS Memorial Quilt" Features 8,000 Panels Unfolded Over 10 Days at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

"Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding The AIDS Memorial Quilt" Features 8,000 Panels Unfolded Over 10 Days at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The NAMES Project Foundation Returns to Washington, D.C., to Display Quilt Across Multiple Locations Over the Next 31 Days

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT: Measuring in at enormous 1.3 million square feet (50 miles) and 54 tons, The AIDS Memorial Quilt is now too large to display in a single D.C. location all at once. In order to make 48,000 panels available for the public to see in Washington, D.C., this summer, The NAMES Project Foundation has arranged for more than 60 distinct displays in a number of locations over the course of 31 days.

The first opportunity for the public to see panels from The Quilt will be at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's "Creativity and Crisis: Unfolding The AIDS Memorial Quilt" - the first Festival program ever to focus exclusively on ways in which community craft and performance have helped educate people and helped them cope with one of the most complex epidemics in modern history - where:


-- DreamGirls' Sheryl Lee Ralph will perform her one woman show Sometimes I
Cry on the opening day
-- 8,000 Quilt panels - within the activity tents and in 3 distinct
displays - will be unfolded publicly.
-- Over the 10 days of the Festival, the public will have the
opportunity to participate in Quilt display rituals including
reading of names, unfolding ceremonies, dedication of new panels and
the signing of signature squares.
-- New mobile web app "AIDS Quilt Touch" will enable visitors to locate a
specific panel display and contribute comments to a Digital Guest Book.
The app also enables people worldwide to search for specific panels and
contribute comments to the Guest Book. Download at
www.aidsquilttouch.org.
-- There will be craft demonstrations, dance and musical performances,
interactive discussions, and other activities
WHEN: June 27-July 1, 2012; July 4-July 8, 2012

11:00 a.m. ET - 5:30 p.m. ET
*** The Opening Ceremony is June 27, 2012 at 11 a.m. ET***

WHERE: The National Mall, Washington, D.C.

(Between Madison and Jefferson Drives at 12th Street)

NOTE: Following the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, The Quilt will be displayed as follows:


-- 4,800 Quilt panels will be featured in more than 50 venues throughout
the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area from July 21 to 25 during the
AIDS 2012 International AIDS Conference also taking place in Washington
-- 35,200 panels - 8,800 per day - will be on display, also July 21-25, on
a portion of the National Mall, from 8th to 14th Streets
For more information, go to Quilt2012.org





SOURCE The NAMES Project Foundation

The NAMES Project Foundation

CONTACT: Stephenie L. Fu, SLF Strategies, stephenie@slfstrategies.com, +1-202-431-5169

Web Site: http://quilt2012.org


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