2016 Broadway Quilt Raises Funds for D.A.P.
“SEW OUT LOUISE!”
Desert AIDS Project
PALM SPRINGS, CA (SEPTEMBER 21, 2016) - Fans of Broadway and supporters of Desert AIDS Project can now buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a one of kind Broadway quilt containing 1,920 pieces of fabric from the costumes of twenty Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including “The Color Purple”, “Hamilton”, “Kinky Boots”, “Sunset Boulevard”, and “Wicked”.
A limited number of raffle tickets priced at $20 each went on sale this week to benefit client services at Desert AIDS Project. “We know that Broadway fans are going to be excited by this opportunity to own a quilt made of fabrics from their favorite shows. A friend of D.A.P calls this the ‘SEW OUT LOUISE! Quilt” said Darrell L. Tucci, Chief Development Officer at D.A.P.
The king-size quilt is comprised of 64 blocks, each containing 16 squares of fabric sewn in a diamonds are forever pattern. The back of the quilt is made primarily of fabric from Glenn Close’s wardrobe for “Sunset Boulevard”, as well as fabric that legendary fashion designer Valentino used in his costume designs for the 2012 New York City Ballet Gala.
New York costume designer Philip Heckman, who in 2015 bought a second home in Palm Springs, built a bridge between the Coachella Valley D.A.P. community and the New York theatre community, working directly with Broadway’s wardrobe teams to have donations of fabric shipped to a small group of volunteers at Desert AIDS Project known as ‘Quilting with Pinkie’. The group is led by drag performer Pinkie Meringue Shimmer (aka Larry Edwards).
“The quilting group is a great way for clients of D.A.P to have a creative outlet and a place to build community,” explains Pinkie. “We chat about whatever comes up. It’s a place for people to talk about what’s going on in their lives and it reduces isolation.” It took the group more than six months to hand sew The Broadway Quilt.
In addition to The Broadway Quilt, the raffle winner will also receive The Broadway Quilt Book, a visual and interactive catalogue which showcases some of the 20 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions that donated costume fabric to The Broadway Quilt. The book includes actual swatches of show fabrics which were used in the Broadway costumes. According to Heckman, “The fabric swatch pages serve as a ‘scavenger hunt road map’ to help the raffle winner find their favorite Broadway shows amongst 1,500 fabric squares that make up the quilt.” Heckman hand made the book patterned after the ‘costume bibles’ used by designers and wardrobe teams. He’s included autographed Playbills by performers like Jennifer Hudson and hand-written notes from some of the shows who donated fabric for the quilt.
Heckman created the @thebroadwayquilt Facebook page to share the progress of fabric donations, going backstage to take photographs of wardrobe teams and actors in costumes. Heckman says “It adds another layer when you can see an actor backstage in their costume and then find that fabric in the quilt.”
Raffle tickets can be ordered at The Broadway Quilts events page on Desert AIDS Project’s website until 3PM on December 1. The winner of the raffle will be announced during D.A.P’s Every Day Heroes World AIDS Day event on December 1, 2016.
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High Res images of the quilt for print and online publications are available upon request.
ABOUT DESERT AIDS PROJECT
Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) serves our community with primary and HIV-specialty services, including medical care, case management, and social services, like food, housing, and counseling. D.A.P. is committed to free and confidential HIV testing at dozens of community test sites and events through its Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign. They also offer The DOCK, a sexual health clinic, whose services include STD testing and treatment; PEP and PrEP education and treatment; free and confidential HIV testing; and well woman exams. With new advances in treatment, improved access to care through health reform and new prevention technology, D.A.P. is committed to helping bring the HIV epidemic to an end. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118, visit www.desertaidsproject.org or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
Contact:
Steven Henke - 612-310-3047
RDMarketing@DesertAIDSProject.org
Source: https://www.desertaidsproject.org
"Reproduced with permission - Desert AIDS Project "
Desert AIDS Project
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