Unmarked Landmarks: Honoring & Preserving Cultural Memory in Public Space

On October 18, the AIANY Civic Leadership Program (CLP) Class of 2024 gathered for their second development session, organized by Darien Carr, Architectural Designer at KPF, and Sarah Yehuda, Public Art Manager at NYC Department of Design and Construction. The event, titled "Unmarked Landmarks: Honoring & Preserving Cultural Memory in Public Space," assembled a passionate group of public artists, architects, and cultural advocates for a conversation about representation and the preservation of cultural memory in the built environment.

The session opened by asking two related questions:

• If we consider the architecture and public art of New York as expressions of culture, what can we learn from evaluating which stories have been expressed and which have not?
• How can we advocate for a more diverse approach to historic preservation in our roles as designers, artists, and advocates?

The afternoon invited five cultural leaders in the fields of public art and architecture to explore these questions and bring their respective creative practices into dialogue. They offered insights on how art and design can be used as tools to invoke history, build community, and steward ownership over public space. They also explored how the relationships formed between practitioners and the communities they serve are crucial to enacting meaningful experiences with the public. Speakers included:

• Kenseth Armstead, Commissioner, NYC Public Design Commission; Artist; Educator
• Jerome Haferd, RA, NOMA, Principal, JEROME HAFERD; Public Artist; Educator
• Joseph Zeal Henry, Director of Cultural Planning, City of Boston; Designer; Curator
• David Martine, Artist, Curator, Educator, Writer
• Risa Puno, Public Installation Artist, Sculptor

Each participant addressed the ways in which they have expanded the notion of placemaking by intentionally honoring places through their work, highlighting examples from their portfolios. Featured works included Armstead's True North: Station Pass and Boulevard of African Monarchs, Haferd's Sankofa and winning Africatown design proposal "In the Wake," Henry's work curating the British Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennial and building affordable housing for artists, Martine's cultural advocacy work with American Indian Artists, Inc. (AMERINDA), and Risa Puno's Come By and Open Invitation installations. Each presentation spoke to the relational act of honoring local histories-the experiences they contain and the communities they serve. Attendees left the session inspired and ready to bring these conversations into their work shaping the built environment.

Special thanks to each speaker for participating with such care and generosity, and to our mentor, A.L. Hu, for their guidance throughout this process.