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Sydney, NSW Australia |
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo, Haymarket | Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt - Sydney |
since 1 December 1988 944 names |
The Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt was formally launched on World AIDS day, 1st of December 1988. The founding 35 memorial panels were displayed that day with visiting panels from the American Names Project.
The Quilt was founded in Sydney by Andrew Carter. He was inspired by the American NAMES Project, having seen the American Quilt during its 1988 US National Tour. Upon his return home he joined with Richard Johnson to start the Quilt in Australia. Andrew Carter was later awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of this work.
The Australian Quilt remains the largest outside the USA. Local groups of the Quilt now exist in States and Territories across Australia. By the mid 2000s the majority of Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt blocks were being cared for by the Quilt Project Sydney. This organization contacted the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney with the aim of securing a permanent home. In 2007 the Quilt was donated to the Museum.
The Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt held at the Powerhouse Museum consists of 97 ‘blocks’ or separate quilts. Most blocks contain 8 panels although some were made by organisations and represent many more individuals. The quilt is stored at the Powerhouse Discovery Centre in Castle Hill, Sydney, the publicly accessible off-site storage and collection care facility of the Museum. A team of volunteers work to document and store the quilts. The volunteers record information about the people remembered on the quilts and about the friends and families who made the panels. This information is being made available progressively on the Museum’s website.
Since entering the Powerhouse’s collection, quilts have been displayed in various events and exhibitions within the museum. They have also been lent to institutions and community venues for display outside the Powerhouse Museum. Visits to view particular quilts can be arranged.
Other parts of the Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt are held by independent organizations in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Brisbane and Newcastle.
Powerhouse Museum
The Quilt was founded in Sydney by Andrew Carter. He was inspired by the American NAMES Project, having seen the American Quilt during its 1988 US National Tour. Upon his return home he joined with Richard Johnson to start the Quilt in Australia. Andrew Carter was later awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of this work.
The Australian Quilt remains the largest outside the USA. Local groups of the Quilt now exist in States and Territories across Australia. By the mid 2000s the majority of Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt blocks were being cared for by the Quilt Project Sydney. This organization contacted the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney with the aim of securing a permanent home. In 2007 the Quilt was donated to the Museum.
The Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt held at the Powerhouse Museum consists of 97 ‘blocks’ or separate quilts. Most blocks contain 8 panels although some were made by organisations and represent many more individuals. The quilt is stored at the Powerhouse Discovery Centre in Castle Hill, Sydney, the publicly accessible off-site storage and collection care facility of the Museum. A team of volunteers work to document and store the quilts. The volunteers record information about the people remembered on the quilts and about the friends and families who made the panels. This information is being made available progressively on the Museum’s website.
Since entering the Powerhouse’s collection, quilts have been displayed in various events and exhibitions within the museum. They have also been lent to institutions and community venues for display outside the Powerhouse Museum. Visits to view particular quilts can be arranged.
Other parts of the Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt are held by independent organizations in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Brisbane and Newcastle.
Powerhouse Museum
