The National AIDS Memorial Grove is a seven-acre dell in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, a living tribute to all whose lives have been touched by AIDS. It is the only federally-designated AIDS Memorial in the United States.

The Grove is a place where people gather to heal, hope, and remember. The goal of this competition is to identify an outstanding artistic complement to the Grove's award-winning landscape, an icon that will deepen, both visually and spiritually, the visitor's experience of this remarkable environment. The winning design will be inherently egalitarian, expressing the cross-cultural and global impact of the AIDS pandemic, while honoring those who have died and those who have shared their struggle.