Three sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be displayed at the Getz Theatre Center from April 30–May 13.

In conjunction with Columbia College Chicago's production of “RENT” (May 1–10), School of Theatre and Dance Director Jimmy Noriega is arranging for three sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to be on display in the lobby of the Getz Theatre Center, 72 E. 11th St., from April 30–May 13. 

The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt—often called the AIDS Memorial Quilt or AIDS Quilt—is the largest community folk art project in the world. Comprising more than 50,000 panels, it honors the lives of over 100,000 people who have died of AIDS-related causes. 

Originally conceived in 1985 during the early years of the AIDS crisis, the quilt became a powerful public statement at a time when many who died from the disease were denied traditional funerals due to social stigma. It has been displayed several times on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. as a symbolic and literal act of remembrance. 

“In many ways, “RENT” is a love letter to queer communities, and so is the quilt,” says Noriega. “It is a physical and visual manifestation of love and remembrance, and this will give our students and audience members a chance to reflect more deeply on the time period and the impact the AIDS crisis had on entire communities.” 

Panels in the quilt measure 3 feet by 6 feet—the size of a human grave—and are dedicated to individuals who died of AIDS. Each is unique and deeply personal, often incorporating materials and items such as love letters, photographs, cowboy boots, leather, lace, and handwritten messages. 

“The quilt is a historical artifact,” Noriega says. “It captures the emotions of the moment when it was made—grief, loss, love, rage, and beauty. Each panel is someone’s memory stitched into fabric.” 

For Noriega, the connection between "RENT” and the quilt isn’t just thematic—it’s generational. “When we do plays like ‘RENT,’ students are engaging with a history they didn’t necessarily live through,” he says. “It’s our job as educators to help them see the broader cultural and political contexts that shaped these works. The quilt is part of that education.” 

Since 2020, the AIDS Memorial Quilt has been housed and preserved by the National AIDS Memorial in San Francisco, where it remains both a tribute and a tool for education and advocacy. “We can’t separate art from history. This project gives us a way to connect the two—and to ensure that we remember,” says Noriega. 

In addition to Columbia students, faculty, and staff, the public is also welcome to view the quilt sections. The complete quilt can be viewed online, and individual names can be searched at www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt.

• Theatre and Dance

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