Museum
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The AIDS Museum
About
- Executive Director, Ashley Grosso
Honor Garden-people who have lost loved ones to AIDS may sponsor a plant in
the memorial garden
Art Gallery-collection of work by HIV positive artists and work related to
HIV/AIDS
Auditorium - with a screen and stage for performances, movies, and
documentaries related to AIDS and as a venue for speakers
Ballroom and dining hall-for the purpose of hosting fundraising events
such as galas or dinners to benefit AIDS organizations
Conference rooms-for meetings between AIDS organizations, doctors,
patients, etc.
Classrooms-for lectures and information sessions
Library-housing research about HIV/AIDS
Digital ticker-showing up to the minute results with the count of how many
people are infected and how many have died of AIDS
Gift shop-to help sustain the museum, with a portion of the proceeds
donated to one or more AIDS organizations
Fountain-for people to drop in their loose change. Nonprofit
organizations benefiting people with AIDS can sign up to collect the money
from the fountain as a fundraiser. A different organization will be allowed
to do this every month
Reflection room-with comfortable places to sit and little decoration for
personal prayer or meditation
Exhibits
Mission Statement
The AIDS Museum will be America's national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of the AIDS Pandemic. The mission of the Museum will be to advance and disseminate knowledge about AIDS, to preserve the memory of those who have died and continue to suffer, and to encourage visitors to reflect upon the medical, political, and humanitarian questions raised by the AIDS Pandemic. The Museum will have an inspirational tone, highlighting the ways in which people have come together through organizations to creatively address the range of social and health care issues raised by the Pandemic.
Welcome Statement
Welcome to the website of the AIDS Museum! I conceived of the idea for the AIDS Museum in 2004 as a student at Seton Hall University working with the Red Cross Club on AIDS awareness events. One of our activities was displaying a panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, a community art project memorializing the lives of people lost to AIDS. As part of my undergraduate thesis, I researched other ways in which art could serve as a memorial and a tool to educate people about AIDS. I discovered that one AIDS Museum existed in Thailand and one is being planned in South Africa, but there is no such institution in the United States. Although there are exhibits, such as one at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, virtual galleries, such as VisualAIDS, and memorials, such as the San Francisco Memorial Grove, there is no permanent physical home for the examination of the AIDS pandemic from a social science perspective.
After two years of planning, the Museum is ready to launch its first pilot program, an exhibit at Seton Hall University's Art Gallery in South Orange, NJ. Other exhibits are in the works, such as one at Broadway House for Continuing Care, a home for people with AIDS in Newark, NJ. Check out our news section for more information.
2006 is the 25th year of the AIDS pandemic. Now, more than ever, is the time to reflect on the history of the disease, educate people and prevent the spread of HIV, reduce the stigma associated with people living with AIDS, and support those working to find a cure. I am hopeful and confident that the AIDS Museum can be an important part of that process.
Listed below are potential features of the Museum we would like to have once we have enough funding for a permanant building:
o Panels of the Names Quilt
o A timeline of the AIDS Pandemic
o Interactive computers, particularly geared toward children