Thirty-four faces. Each a story etched in glass. This is the New Orleans AIDS Memorial. It stands as a testament to a generation lost. A generation silenced by a disease. A disease that once gripped the world with fear.
The New Orleans AIDS Memorial isn’t just a sculpture. It’s a sanctuary. A place of reflection. A place to remember those we lost to AIDS. It was unveiled on November 30 2008. It sits in Washington Square Park. It’s a powerful yet comforting reminder.
This powerful monument took years to create. Susan Wallins Levingston led the fundraising effort. An international design competition was held. Tim Tate’s design was chosen. His design features a curved steel structure. Translucent glass faces emerge from this structure.
Mitchell Gaudet a New Orleans artist cast and built the sculpture. The title is The Guardian Wall. It’s eight feet high and thirty-five feet wide. The glass faces depict men and women. Words like friend lover and son are also featured. These faces guard those whose names are engraved in the paving stones below. These stones honor those who died from AIDS. They also honor those who fought the disease.
The New Orleans AIDS Memorial has become a central focus. It is the heart of LGBT and AIDS celebrations. It’s a place of remembrance. It’s a place for tourism. Each year on World AIDS Day a wreath-laying ceremony is held here.
The memorial offers a healing sanctuary. It promotes understanding. It’s a public landscape. A place of comfort consolation and a dignified community setting. It is made of concentric bronze circles. Inspirational multicultural cast glass faces frame these circles. A pathway of granite stones leads to the memorial. These stones bear the names of loved ones.
Walk the path. Feel the weight of history. Let the faces of the New Orleans AIDS Memorial remind you. Remember the lives lost. Remember the fight. Remember the ongoing need for compassion. Remember to stand with those affected by AIDS. Let us honor those who are no longer with us. Let us support those who continue to fight.