On Saturday, June 20, the New York City AIDS Memorial transformed into a vibrant sanctuary of radical joy for our immersive Pride Open House, bringing together community, drag icons, and an incredible lineup of local DJs. Guests danced in solidarity and celebrated the progress made in the fight for queer liberation amidst a breathtaking, site-wide floral installation and performances by the Legends of Drag.

On June 20, the New York City AIDS Memorial celebrated the opening of its newest public art commission, Oscar Tuazon’s Eternal Flame for Scott Burton. The dedication ceremony featured moving remarks from the artist alongside leadership from the Memorial, NYC Department of Parks, and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, welcoming guests for an exclusive first look at the completed sculpture.

On June 5, the New York City AIDS Memorial was joined by a cohort of leading activist and service organizations, including ACT UP, Callen-Lorde, Housing Works, and Rise and Resist, to commemorate Long-Term HIV/AIDS Survivors Awareness Day, the 45th anniversary of the first reports of AIDS, and Seven Days in June to fight cuts to healthcare.

Reimagining the New York City AIDS Memorial as a dynamic site of memory and empowerment, pioneering digital platform Kinfolk and the New York City AIDS Memorial presented Portals of Remembrance, a year-long exhibition featuring three augmented reality monuments created by four renowned contemporary artists: Derek Fordjour, Jacolby Satterwhite, and Tourmaline & Egyptt LaBeija.

These artist-focused Community AIDS Memorial Quilt-Making Workshops led by artist Erika deVries, took place at Manhattan’s Poster House, in support of their exhibition Love & Fury: New York’s Fight Against AIDS. Over two days, we created new quilt panels for members of the creative community lost to AIDS.