Remembering Richard: Fostering Community in the Shadow of AIDS

"Remembering Richard: Fostering Community in the Shadow of AIDS" is an event and exhibition. Augustana and the local community will create a panel for the National AIDS Memorial Quilt in honor of Richard Van Truss '86, who passed away from HIV/AIDS in 1995, and for any other members of Augie and the Quad Cities' queer communities who have been lost. Richard's story was discovered by Kat-Jean Glusick '26 (they/them) during their research into queer histories at Augustana.

Special Collections will display an existing panel of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt from April 8 through May 29, open to campus and the public during normal Special Collections hours.

The creation of the new quilt panel will take place Wednesday, April 8, from 1-2 p.m. (for the campus community) and from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (for members of the public).

This event is a collaboration between Tredway Library and Special Collections; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the Art Department; the Center for Visual Culture; Yarn Club; and GSA. Off-campus, the event has received support from The Project of the Quad Cities (a local health clinic serving people living with HIV/AIDS), Atlas Collective (LGBTQ+ bookstore), Pride in Memory (a local group documenting LGBTQ+ history of the Quad Cities), Clock Inc. (LGBT+ community center), Hey Jane(y) & Co. (an organization focused on access to sex health education) and Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities (the church that Richard attended). It was also made possible in partnership with the National AIDS Memorial organization.