Installation Guide

The following is a guide to logistics and security for displays of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Quilt panels can NEVER be replaced. Each panel is a unique memorial to someone who has died of AIDS. Damage to or loss of a Quilt panel is emotionally devastating to the friends, family or loved ones who made it.

This Installation Guide describes the ways that you can take care of the Quilt while it is at your school or organization. By following these guidelines, you will help preserve the memory of those who have died, and permit others to benefit from seeing the Quilt.

Choosing a Display Site

All displays must be indoors. Your Quilt display site can be in an auditorium, library, gymnasium, or other room.

Your display site must meet the following requirements:

• Have ceilings more than 12 feet high.
• Be locked when security monitors are not present or the facility is closed.
• Be off-limits for all food, beverages, and smoking.
• Be free of insects, rodents, and leaks.

Consider the following when choosing your display site:

• A separate room rather than a high-traffic area such as a lobby lets people view the Quilt without disruption.
• The Quilt should be accessible, located so that people can see it up close (i.e. hung no higher than 14", or the bottom edge of the block only 2' above tthe floor).
• Seating allows you to conduct special events at the display.
• The lighting affects how well you can see the Quilt, and whether you can create a special "mood" at the display.
• Loud noises will interfere with tours and prevent you from creating a respectful atmosphere.
• Audio-visual equipment may be needed for special events held at the display (such as guest speakers or videos).

Setting up a Quilt Display

Sections of the Quilt:

A section of the Quilt, or block, is a twelve-foot by twelve-foot square (a "twelve-by-twelve").

Each block is typically made up of eight individual six-foot-by-three-foot panels.

Each twelve-by-twelve has five holes ("grommets") along the edge, which are used to hang the Quilt. The NAMES Project provides plastic cable ties for hanging the Quilt.

Hanging Sections of The Quilt

All displays must be hanging. When hanging sections of the Quilt, remember the following:

• To prevent the Quilt from dragging on the floor, what you hang the Quilt from should be more than 12 feet high.
• To be able to read the panels at the top of the twelve-by-twelve, do not hang the Quilt too high above the floor.
• A twelve-by-twelve can weigh over 40 lbs. (Note: The average weight of a twelve-by-twelve is 20 lbs.)
• Never bunch, tie or drape the Quilt.

Protecting The Quilt

While the Quilt is at your school or organization, you are responsible for protecting it from damage. The display room must be locked when there are no security monitors in the room or when the facility is closed after hours.

• A security monitor should be posted near the Quilt at all times that the display site is not locked.
• Enlist student groups or clubs to sign up as Quilt security monitors.
• Monitors can be students, young people, or staff who are also giving educational presentations about the Quilt to visitors.
• Before the display, hold a meeting of all the security monitors to train them about protecting the Quilt.

Monitors should understand the following information:

The Quilt was handmade by the families and friends of people who have died of AIDS. Each panel is unique and cannot be replaced.

• No one is allowed to add anything to or take anything from the panels.
  EVEN IF THEY CLAIM TO BE THE PANEL MAKER. IF ALL ELSE FAILS, CONTACT THE FOUNDATION OFFICES IMMEDIATELY- DO NOT ALLOW A PANEL TO BE MODIFIED!
• No one is allowed to eat, drink or chew gum near the Quilt.
• No one is allowed to pull on or step on the Quilt.

Using The Signature Square

A "signature square" is a twelve-foot-by-twelve-foot blank piece of fabric with the NAMES Project logo stenciled on it. The signature square gives people a way to express their feelings about the Quilt and about HIV and AIDS. You must request a signature square when you appply to host your display.

The signature square may be shipped to your school or organization either prior to the display or within the Quilt shipment itself. The signature square should be placed on the floor near the Quilt, with colored markers provided for people to write with.

Encourage young people to write their comments about the Quilt and HIV/AIDS on the signature square. Remind them to write something that they would be proud to show as part of your school or organization’s response to AIDS.

You may keep and display the signature square as a reminder of the Quilt. If you are unable to display the signature square, you may return it to the NAMES Project, where it will become part of the Quilt archive (but not a part of the Quilt itself) or you might give it to the nearest Quilt chapter.

Shipping and Receiving The Quilt

The Logistics/Security Coordinators on your Quilt Display Team are responsible for handling the Quilt while it is at your organization or school.

When the Quilt arrives:

• The Quilt sections and cable ties will be shipped to you from Atlanta to arrive one to three days before your display.
• When the Quilt sections arrive, the Logistics/Security coordinator should call the NAMES Project to confirm arrival at (404) 688-5500.
• Forms will be enclosed for you to use to ship the Quilt sections back to Atlanta.
• The Quilt sections must be kept in the shipping cartons in a locked storage area until you set up the display.

When you return the Quilt to the NAMES Project:

• After the Quilt display, fold the Quilt sections carefully following the enclosed folding instructions and place back in the same cartons in which they arrived.
• Do not store anything else in the cartons while the Quilt is on display. Use the return shipping forms to return the Quilt sections.
• The Quilt sections must be shipped back within three days of the end of your display.
• The Quilt may be shipped via FedEx or UPS ONLY. We stringly encourage the use of FedEx (not FedEx Ground).
• The Logistics/Security Coordinator should confirm when the Quilt has been shipped by contacting their display coordinator at the Foundation offices and providing the tracking numbers for the shipment. Please call (404) 688-5500, fax (404) 688-5552, or e-mail displays@aidsquilt.org with your tracking numbers when the Quilt has been picked up by FedEx or UPS.

The NAMES Project Foundation - AIDS Memorial Quilt
637 Hoke Street NW • Atlanta, GA 30318-4315
404/688-5500 :: 404/688-5552 f :: info@aidsquilt.org

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