BRATTLEBORO — On June 24, more than 20 artists (with one as young as 4-years-old!) came together to create the Concrete Quilt in the High Grove parking lot. This project commemorates the 25th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which currently contains 47,000 panels with the names of more than 93,000 people lost to HIV/AIDS.
The painting of the Concrete Quilt was an incredibly moving experience, one of the truest expressions of community and, as one passerby noted, “what Brattleboro is all about.”
This project would not have happened without incredible community support.
Thanks to the members of the Brattleboro Town Arts Committee, especially Sarah Rice, who were instrumental in making this project happen, from working out a ton of logistics, to deftly shepherding the Quilt through the Public Arts Policy to greasing any and all wheels to make this a reality.
Thanks also to the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, especially Alex Potter, who supported this project from its inception to its completion; to Steve Barrett and the Public Works Department personnel, who cut down the brush, patched the wall, and primed our canvas; and to Carol Coulombe (Brattleboro Parking Enforcement) and Jan Anderson (Town Manager Executive Secretary), for helping us clear the lot of vehicles, an absolutely essential task to painting the Quilt.
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, especially Kathryn Turnas II, whose members donated their June collection plate to the project to cover all of our expenses, and to the amazing folks at Sherwin-Williams on Putney Road who, without hesitation, donated every drop of paint that you see on the wall, also deserve thanks.
And finally, thank you to the artists who gave so much of themselves with brushes, paint, and energy.
The Concrete Quilt is not just a mural, but a collection of stories about loved ones lost, a disease we must stop, and a community resilience that makes all things possible.
I can hardly think of a more fulfilling and moving experience, and I am enormously appreciative.