California man teaches AIDS quilt panel-making class to bring healing

In 1987, Jeff Bosacki traveled to Europe, believing it would be his final adventure due to an HIV diagnosis. Instead, the journey sparked a lifelong mission. Upon returning to the United States, he visited Washington, D.C., for the first full display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall. At that time, the quilt included nearly 2,000 panels, designed to honor those who had died from AIDS and raise awareness about the epidemic. The event coincided with the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

"Each panel represents the size of a coffin, roughly 3-feet-by-6-feet," said Bosacki, now a resident of Palm Springs. He soon became involved with chapter organizations that created AIDS quilts across the country and even traveled to African and Caribbean nations to provide education and support.

Nearly four decades later, Bosacki continues to guide participants in quilt-making, most recently at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert in Palm Springs. Ahead of World AIDS Day on Monday, Dec. 1, a small group of local residents worked on panels to honor lost loved ones. Completed panels will be displayed in the Center's lobby throughout December.

On Nov. 13, 2025, Bosacki was seen arranging quilting supplies and plans at the Center. He has personally created around 10 panels and assisted in hundreds more. His most recent panel commemorates his late best friend, Keith Landau, who passed away at 25 in 1987, one of Bosacki's earliest friends lost to HIV/AIDS. The 6-by-12-foot gray fabric reflects Landau's favorite color, featuring personal touches such as the Taco Bell logo and symbols of Landau's passions: travel, barbecue, and change.

"Keith loved seeing ideas transform in corporations like Taco Bell or PepsiCo," Bosacki said. "He was fascinated by how a shift in attitude or approach could change public perception." A photo of Bosacki with Landau and two other friends from the mid-1980s now rests on the quilt he is creating. Bosacki is the only surviving person in the photograph.

After contracting a sexually transmitted disease in 1978 in San Francisco, Bosacki participated in a hepatitis B study, which preserved a blood sample. In the mid-1980s, this sample revealed he was HIV positive. Despite early treatment with AZT, which he found too toxic, he survived and now maintains an undetectable viral load while managing reactive arthritis.

Reflecting on the epidemic, Bosacki said he avoided AIDS Survivor Syndrome thanks to supportive friends and family. Among current quilt participants, many are completing panels for loved ones lost decades ago. Each workshop brings unique experiences and emotional breakthroughs, often culminating in the sewing of names onto the quilt for remembrance.

In previous international workshops, including in Jamaica, Bosacki combined quilt-making with sex education. He found a shared human experience in mourning across cultures, making the workshops deeply meaningful. At the LGBTQ Community Center, he continues to help participants transform grief into art, providing materials and guidance for their quilt projects.

World AIDS Day in Coachella Valley

Events on Dec. 1 will commemorate World AIDS Day in Palm Springs. The Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Task Force will break ground on "The Well of Love," a public memorial featuring three mirrored faces with oval "pools of tears," designed by artist Phillip K. Smith III. Completion is expected in spring 2026, with approximately $275,000 still needed for full funding.

DAP Health will host a program and displays honoring those impacted by HIV/AIDS. Highlights include:

• AIDS Memorial Quilt Display: Four historic panels exhibited Dec. 15 at DAP Health, 1695 North Sunrise Way.
• Memorial Sculpture Model: Displayed alongside quilt panels.
• Community Program and Candlelight Vigil: Dec. 1, 5:306:30 p.m. at DHD Room, Palm Springs campus.
• Reception at Blackbook: Dec. 1, 78 p.m., 315 E. Arenas Road, with food and drink options.
• Virtual Panel: "HIV Care: Progress, Persistence, and the Path Forward," Dec. 2, featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci and a performance by Rufus Wainwright.

The Palm Springs Art Museum will participate in Visual AIDS Day With(out) Art on Dec. 4, screening six short films in response to the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis from 58 p.m.

Through decades of work with the AIDS Memorial Quilt, Jeff Bosacki continues to honor the past while teaching others how to transform grief into remembrance and healing.

Commentary: Honoring Lives and Transforming Grief Through the AIDS Memorial Quilt

Jeff Bosacki's journey from a life-threatening HIV diagnosis to decades of advocacy highlights both personal resilience and community commitment. His early encounter with the AIDS Memorial Quilt in Washington, D.C., became the catalyst for a lifelong mission: educating, supporting, and guiding individuals affected by HIV/AIDS through the creation of commemorative quilt panels.

Over nearly four decades, Bosacki has personally crafted panels and assisted hundreds more, providing a structured space for participants to honor lost loved ones. The workshops, both locally in Palm Springs and internationally, combine creative expression with reflection, often addressing grief, memory, and health education. Bosacki’s recent panel for his friend Keith Landau exemplifies how personal stories and cultural symbols can be integrated into collective remembrance.

The ongoing activities around World AIDS Day in Coachella Valley underscore the Quilt’s continuing relevance. From the public memorial “The Well of Love” to educational programs and candlelight vigils, the community actively preserves memory while fostering awareness and dialogue about HIV/AIDS. Bosacki’s work demonstrates the enduring power of art to transform loss into healing, ensuring that individual and collective histories remain visible for future generations.

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• California man brings healing through AIDS quilt panel-making class