Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and set amidst the tropical setting of Key West, Florida, the Key West AIDS Memorial has become an essential element of both the landscape and community by featuring the names of the people from the area who died of complications due to AIDS. This ever-evolving memorial has become a hub of activity that attracts attention from across the nation, highlighting how memorials can connect the past with the future in a way that resonates with audiences in the present.
A Tribute to the Key West Community
The AIDS and HIV epidemic had a devastating impact on Key West in the 1980s and 1990s, with hundreds being lost to it. Key West also became a refuge for people diagnosed elsewhere who then felt they had nowhere else to do. These developments would eventually drive an effort to create a tribute to the generous community of Key West by honoring the many individuals who defined this community of acceptance in both life and death.
Built with private funds and donated to the City of Key West in 1997, the Key West AIDS Memorial features the names of men and women who had died from complications due to AIDS. Originally featuring 730 names, all of them are engraved in random order, with new names being added each year and dedicated on World AIDS day. A new side wall was added in 2014 to enable the addition of even more names.
Poems by Kahlil Gibran, Rachel Hadas and others are set in stone and appear throughout the space. There are also benches for visitors to sit and reflect as well as map-like shapes that take visitors through the space. The names of the individuals and organizations that enabled the creation of the monument have also been immortalized.
The Friends of the Key West AIDS Memorial is an all-volunteer group that maintains the monument, highlighting the continual connection it has established with the community. This connection showcases how deeply impactful such landmarks can be to audiences in a way that enables them to enable positive change on multiple levels.
A Legacy Tied to Loss and Love
The first municipal AIDS Memorial in the world, the Key West AIDS Memorial brings the community together every year in December for the dedication of new names but also serves as an impromptu gathering space for the community. This connection can be seen in the flowers that are often placed on or near someone’s name.
The multiple ways that people can interact with one another and the legacy of love and loss that the monument memorializes has come to resonate with audiences from all over the country and across entire eras.
