Frederick, Md. – DISTRICT Arts, a contemporary art gallery in the heart of historic downtown Frederick, MD, will host a panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt (the Quilt) beginning this Friday, September 29th. The display of the Quilt, considered the largest community art project in the world, coincides with The Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s (MET) debut of Angels in America Part 2, Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize winning play about New Yorkers amid the AIDS crisis during the 1980s. The Quilt will be on display from September 29th – October 29th.
DISTRICT Arts will host one 12’ x 12’ panel of the Quilt. Started over 35 years ago by activist Cleve Jones, the AIDS Memorial Quilt serves to honor, remember and celebrate the stories and lives of those lost to HIV/AIDS. Today, there are roughly 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals in this epic 54-ton tapestry that stretches more than 50 miles in length – and continues to grow, as new panels are being added every day, a reminder that the crisis is not over.
“The opportunity to see the AIDS Memorial Quilt alongside the debut of Angels in America Part 2 is a really compelling way to pair two artistic mediums and provide a more full-circle experience for our guests,” said Bill McLauchlan, Co-Owner of DISTRICT Arts. “We are honored to host a panel of this incredibly meaningful work and feel very lucky to be a part of such an enormous community project that engaged so many people in healing through art.”
Thanks to a generous sponsorship by Walter Olson & Steve Pippin, dedicated supporters of MET, the Quilt’s display will be installed on the same day that Angels in America Part 2 opens at MET, located just around the corner from the gallery. Guests will have the opportunity to visit the Quilt and connect with the human experience behind the AIDS crisis before taking in the performances on stage.
Angels in America is an award-winning, two-part play by American playwright and director Tony Kushner. The play examines AIDS and homosexuality in America in the 1980s and follows its characters as they journey through love, loss and loneliness to overcome abandonment and ultimately discover forgiveness. Led by MET’s Artistic Director, Tad Janes, the production boasts an exceptional creative team, many of whom return from MET’s production of Millennium Approaches (Part 1), bringing depth and continuity throughout both pieces of this iconic work.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt panel will be on display at DISTRICT Arts (15 N Market St, Frederick, MD) from September 29 – October 29, 2023. The display is free and open to the public during normal gallery hours of operation (W-Th 12pm-6pm, Fri-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm).
About DISTRICT Arts:
DISTRICT Arts is a contemporary art gallery in the heart of the historic district in downtown Frederick, MD. The gallery features local, regional and nationally recognized working artists whose creations evoke the modern world through the dramatic use of color and form, reflect world influences and diversity, and inspire, challenge, entertain and educate. For more information, visit districtarts.com.
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