Monuments Toolkit Webinar

In honor of Women's History Month, the Monuments Toolkit at World Heritage USA hosted the webinar Women as Stewards of Heritage. Moderated by Program Director Diana Hernandez, we were honored to be joined by Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Eastville Community Historical Society; Izel Lopez, Deputy Director of the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project; and Sehila Mota Casper, Executive Director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation. Together, these three visionaries are expanding the very definition of heritage, centering the knowledge, leadership, and living memory of African American, Indigenous, and Latiné women in the work of historic preservation today.

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Changing the monuments landscape is not a new or American idea. The practices of removal, relocation, and reinterpretation have been used by other countries throughout all of history. This webinar examines these processes from Brazil as we seek to understand what the United States can learn from these historic processes.

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Monuments dedicated to oppressive people, thoughts, and ideas reinforce trauma on the communities historically oppressed by these figures. For this panel, we’re joined by those who are working to reconcile this trauma through monuments – whether that’s through reinterpreting a historic site or redesignating a place under its historic name.

Sign the petition to redesignate Arlington House at https://www.change.org/p/redesignate-arlington-house-as-a-national-historic-site.

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The process of healing the monuments landscape is about more than removing, relocating, or reinterpreting oppressive monuments. Creating new monuments that reflect the complete and diverse history of places is just as important. In this panel, we’re joined by a group working to diversify the monuments landscape using modern digital approaches. Huy Pham from Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation tells us about their work to document the APIA experience on HistoryPin.

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The Angel of Independence, or El Ángel de la Independencia, was erected in 1910 to celebrate the centenary of the commencement of the War of Independence. A series of protests in 2019 brought greater awareness to the growing rate of violent crimes against women, or feminicide. Although it is not innately oppressive, its presence and significance in Mexico City was transformed by the intervention of protestors. After the multifaceted monument had been graffitied on August 16th, city government officials campaigned to restore it and erase the messages left by protestors. In response, the conservation community unionized to deny any attempts at restoration until their demands were met towards the recognition of feminicide by the city government. In this webinar, the Monuments Toolkit expands on this conversation with the help of our wonderful guests.

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This is an informal luncheon or "coffee break" atmosphere that allows for discussions of community representation, key moments in the webinars/podcasts, and other oppressive monuments to flow and become more interactive between the Monuments Toolkit Team and our live audience. During this program, the Monuments Toolkit Team will be highlighted, as they reflect on new discoveries, unique perspectives, and their own personal taste on whom should be immortalized? As always, viewers will be able to participate and ask questions about the project, or any other aspects of what we have covered so far with a flexible Q&A option throughout the entire program. We hope to see you there and to close out the year with impactful discussions.

Additionally there are several moments when we refer to the "October Webinar" as the Comfort women theme. However, that was actually the webinar for August.

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This month's theme addresses the challenges of reassessing figures that are pivotal in telling a nation's story. Nationalism is a powerful force that is celebrated and emanated in our public spaces. Nationalism is not inherently bad, but may stymie the reception of contemporary values. While the populace continues to develop, the individuals that we choose to immortalize may become problematic or obscure in this new social landscape.

We are joined by two professors, each representing a different corner of the world. Dr. Shu-mei Huang will be covering the national and political contention around the Chiang Kai-shek statues in Taiwan, while Dr. Emily Mark-Fitzgerald will be analyzing Ireland's unique cases of rejection and destruction such as the bombing of Nelson's Pillar. We hope that you will be able to discuss these complex monuments together with our panelists.

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This month's theme sets aside our initial thoughts on oppressive monuments to gauge the figure's relevancy and potential for redemption. Although their history cannot be changed, one may be quick to vouch for removal/destruction before understanding the full picture. Together in collaboration with The Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International), and the staff of Memento Park in Budapest, Hungary, our panelists will analyze the unique solutions applied to case studies around the world and the strengths of incorporating public law contemporary public spaces.

Following the destruction of the Soldiers' Monument in Santa Fe Plaza on Indigenous Peoples Day, Director Cheryl Benard drafted the first handbook on dealing with controversial monuments. By incorporating criminal law, decision-makers would gain a streamlined process of navigating contention while allowing for all stakeholders to voice their perspectives. This tactic can be applied to dilemmas around the world, while positioning communities to weigh in on the fate of a monument or problematic narrative.

Memento Park houses many Soviet-era figures throughout the occupied history of Hungary from the 1900s. However, due to their displacement from public space into bare fields and in proximity of one another, they have almost become comical. In a strange twist, the public has even begun to make memes of the surviving statues; making these symbols of oppression into tourist attractions and entertainment. Despite the initial pushback, Memento Park's unique solutions have naturally embraced recontextualization as different generations of visitors are introduced.

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In Philadelphia, monuments are more than just stone and bronze. They're time capsules that take us back to pivotal moments in American history. From William Penn, the Liberty Bell, to even the Rocky Balboa statue, Philadelphia boasts a wide range of public art that rivals the most famous cities around the world. In fact, Philadelphia holds the world record for the most public art in a single city.

As we take a closer look at Philadelphia's monuments, we'll shine a light on the stories and history often left in the shadows. It’s only right that the Monuments Toolkit took a deep dive into the monuments that the city upholds, the monuments that have caused tension in recent years, and the right path for a city filled with so much history. Together, we'll grapple with the complexities of memory, seeking to understand how these monuments can bridge divides and pave the way for a more inclusive future.

For this conversation, we spoke with Paul Steinke from the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and Harry Philbrick from The Philadelphia Contemporary.

Earlier in his career, Paul Steinke served for four years as the founding Executive Director of University City District, a neighborhood improvement organization that has been central to the revitalization of West Philadelphia. Before that, Paul was a founding staff member of the Center City District, Philadelphia’s downtown improvement agency, where he spent seven years as its Finance Director.

Paul Steinke now serves as executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, a membership-based organization whose mission is to promote the appreciation, adaptive re-use and development of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings, communities and landscapes.

Harry Philbrick has over 25 years of experience in museum management, exhibition development, and educational programming. Philbrick is keenly aware of the challenges of making contemporary art exhibitions accessible to a variety of
Audiences. From 1996 - 2010 he was Director of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, building the Museum’s celebrated new building, developing innovative education programs and leading the museum's exhibition program, working with artists such as Ann Hamilton, Robert Gober, Fred Wilson, and KAWS.

Philbrick founded Philadelphia Contemporary in 2016. The Contemporary‘s mission is to connect the people and places of Philadelphia through art and partnership.

The Monumental Project spoke on the history of the city, the monuments that shape the artistic culture, and how historic structures affect all of us. Enjoy!
@worldheritageusa @preservationallianceforgre4106

@philadelphiacontemporary7369

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