QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5019

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Health

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

08.0021

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

1996:52.1

Object label:

AIDS Memorial Panel
Lynne Swanson and Chris Carmichael
East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
November 1995
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#1996:52.1

Essay:

The NAME Project AIDS Memorials quilt began in June of 1987, when a small group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. Today the Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 46,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels – commemorating the lives of over 91,000 people who have died of AIDS – have been sewn together by friends, lovers, and family members. Laid end to end, the panels would stretch for 52.5 miles. The NAMES Project Quilt is too large to be exhibited in one spot anymore. Portions of it tour the country and are placed on view in community displays. To date, the Quilt has been visited by over 15,000,000 people. This panel was made at a NAMES Project Quilting Bee hosted by MSU Museum and the Lansing Area AIDS Network. Members of the community came together to create panels for loved ones lost to AIDS. In some cases, panels were made to honor people who had no family, or who had been estranged from their family due to their circumstances. This was the case with Bob I. Two 6’ by 3’ panels were made for him. One was sent to the NAMES Project to become part of the massive AIDS Memorial Quilt. The other panel was accessioned into the Michigan State University Museum Great Lakes Quilt Center collections in order to document and preserve an example of quilting used in public memorials and social action. For more information on the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt, go to https://aidsmemorial.org/theaidsquilt-learnmore/.

Quilt's title:

Bob I

Subject of the quilt:

AIDS

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

AIDS Panel

When was the form filled out?

2/18/2008

Quilt top made by:

Carmichael, Chris; Swanson, Lynne

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

East Lansing

Where the quilt was made, county:

Ingham

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

11/1995

When was the quilt finished?

11/1995

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression; Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Artwork/wall hanging

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

East Lansing

Quiltmaker's county:

Ingham

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Swanson

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Urban

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Swedish

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Masters degree

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Collections Manager, MSU Musuem

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):

________, Gary

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:

Jewish

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Psychiatrist

Number of children:

1

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

1

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

1-5 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

no

Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?

no

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

79 1/2"

How long is the quilt?

44 3/4"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Blue; Gold; Red

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Type of inscription:

Signature; Place

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Bob I, Lansing, MI

Describe the method used to inscribe the quilt:

Hand appliqued

Location of inscription:

on block

Describe the quilt's layout:

Vertical strip

Number of quilt blocks:

6 strips of various widths, sewn side by side to create the background

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?

no

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

no back

Describe the binding:

Hemmed, not bound

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

No filling

How are the layers held together?

Not quilted

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

The NAME Project AIDS Memorials quilt began in June of 1987, when a small group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. Today the Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 46,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels-commemorating the lives of over 91,000 people who have died of AIDS-have been sewn together by friends, lovers, and family members. Laid end to end, the panels would stretch for 52.25 miles. The NAMES Project Quilt is too large to be exhibited in one spot anymore. Portions of it tour the country and are place on view in community displays. To date, the Quilt has been visited by over 15,000,000 people.

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Quilts and Human Rights, Michigan State University Museum, January 15 - August 24, 2008

Person filling out this form is:

Quiltmaker

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt

If the source helped design the quilt, describe their input:

Designed the pattern

The quilt was made to be used for:

Artwork/wall hanging

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum