The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has been funding a major initiative to examine and transform monuments and memorials (see https://mellon.org/initiatives/monuments/ )
On September 29, 2021 they hosted a fascinating webinar (see https://monumentalconversations.splashthat.com/MellonEventsPage ) to mark the release of one important component of this initiative, the Monument Landscape Audit, which was conducted in partnership with an organization called Monument Lab (a very interesting organization in its own right, see the website at monumentlab.com). My understanding is that a video recording of the webinar will be available shortly, and it’s well worth watching.
The Mellon announcement on the report can be found at https://mellon.org/news-blog/articles/national-monument-audit/ and the Monument Lab announcement is at
Note that in the coming week or so there are several additional online events to provide more detail on this work and how it may be used. Registration information is available on the page at Monument Lab.
This work frames an enormous number of important and fascinating questions about the nature and purpose of monuments and memorials and the roles of memory and stewardship organizations with regard to these artifacts, particularly when their political and social roles change over time. I am hoping that we can explore some of these questions in upcoming CNI events.
Clifford Lynch
Director, CNI