Speaker Series: Beyond Granite

Beyond Granite - Global Approaches to Public Art, Placemaking, and National Commemoration



Are permanent works of granite the best and only way to pay tribute to America’s most significant people and events? Or might temporary public art installations prove to be powerful alternatives to national commemoration in Washington? On December 8, 2010, the National Capital Planning Commission, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the British Council, and the Trust for the National Mall convened a panel to explore creative ways in which the nation’s narrative can be told. Participants included:

• Julian LaVerdiere
  Designer, World Trade Center Tribute in Light


• Justine Simons
  Director, London's Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square


• Krzysztof Wodiczko
  Harvard professor and artist in temporary and interactive light installations


• Thomas Luebke (Moderator)
  Secretary, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts