NEWS RELEASE: Trust for the National Mall Receives Major Gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Support Temporary Commemorative Works Pilot Program
Trust for the National Mall Receives Major Gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to Support Temporary Commemorative Works Pilot Program
National Capital Planning Commission and National Park Service will partner with the Trust on the “Beyond Granite” pilot project
Media Contacts:
Trust for the National Mall: Julie Moore, jmoore@nationalmall.org
National Capital Planning Commission: Stephen Staudigl, stephen@ncpc.gov
National Park Service: Mike Litterst, Mike_Litterst@nps.gov
(Washington, D.C.) - October 6, 2021 — The Trust for the National Mall (Trust) was awarded a multimillion-dollar grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support a pilot project to create a new model for temporary commemorative works in Washington, DC. The project will bring a series of commemorative installations on and around the National Mall and in Washington, DC neighborhoods that fully engage the community in conversation and reflect and honor the diversity of the American people.
The project, part of the Mellon Foundation's “Monuments Project,” will be a partnership between the Trust, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), and the National Park Service along with contributing organizations including the District of Columbia, Smithsonian Institution, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The 27-month grant will support community outreach, development, and the installation of 8-10 temporary commemorative works. The goal of “Beyond Granite” is to elevate underrepresented national and local stories in the commemorative landscape.
“The Trust is committed to building a proactive, sustainable program for the National Mall and the District that reflects the diversity of the American people and will promote equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Teresa Durkin, Trust for the National Mall Executive Vice President and lead author of the grant submission.
“NCPC is thrilled to explore with our partners how we can make our commemorative landscape more inclusive and accessible, and expand our ideas for who, what, and how we memorialize,” said National Capital Planning Commission Executive Director Marcel Acosta. “Beyond Granite will build upon previous efforts, including Memorials for the Future, and expand opportunities for diverse perspectives and experiences, better respond to more current issues, and use new materials and media.”
"The Trust is excited to work with its partners, the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service to bring these planned commemorative works and bring diverse voices and stories to life on the National Mall,” said Trust President and CEO Catherine Townsend. “We believe that these temporary works can help ensure a more vibrant, dynamic and inclusive National Mall – a major goal of the Trust’s work on America’s civic stage.”
Mellon Foundation Grant Media Release
October 6, 2021
"The National Park Service is proud to join with our partners at the Trust for the National Mall and the National Capital Planning Commission to reimagine commemorative works on the National Mall,” said Jeff Reinbold, Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks. “We are extremely appreciative of this grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which will allow us to more fully represent the width and breadth of the American experience on America’s Front Yard.”
The grant was announced by the Trust during its History, Heroes & Hope awards ceremony held on Thursday, September 30 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture that honored Chef and Humanitarian José Andrés and Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie G. Bunch III. The trust also awarded its Distinction in Corporate Service Award to American Express Corporation during the event.
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: Teresa Durkin, Executive Vice President and Catherine Townsend President/CEO of the Trust for the National Mall can talk about The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant and why it is so critical to support the mission of the Trust in restoring, preserving, and enriching the National Mall as a vibrant civic stage for generations to come. (Available in person on the National Mall, on the phone, or via Microsoft Teams and Zoom).
INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: Marcel Acosta, Executive Director, National Capital Planning Commission, can talk about how The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant will help inform long-range planning for commemorative works in the 21st Century and the agency’s previous work related to commemoration in the nation’s capital. (Available in person or via Microsoft Teams).
ABOUT THE TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL: As the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring, preserving, and enriching the National Mall, the Trust brings expertise, private funding, and in-kind support to time-sensitive restoration and sustainability projects. The Trust also mobilizes a volunteer operation to provide educational opportunities to ensure that the National Mall endures and evolves as a vibrant civic stage for all. With over 36 million annual visits, the National Mall’s aging infrastructure and outdated visitor amenities are in urgent need of repair and improvement as we prepare for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. The Trust is also the philanthropic partner of President’s Park, adjacent to the National Mall. To learn more and to support our mission visit www.nationalmall.org | information@nationalmall.org | @thenationalmall
ABOUT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PLANNING COMMISSION: The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government’s central planning agency in Washington, DC and surrounding counties of Maryland and Virginia. The Commission provides overall guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews the design of federal projects and memorials, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies. NCPC’s past studies and initiatives on commemorative needs in the nation’s capital are available online at https://www.ncpc.gov/topics/commemoration/.
ABOUT NATIONAL MALL AND MEMORIAL PARKS: The National Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial Parks preserves, protects, and interprets the symbolic and monumental civic spaces and commemorative works in the center of the Nation’s Capital that honor American ideals and values, distinguished public figures, and military and civilian sacrifices and contributions. On the National Mall these sites include the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, World War II Memorial, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. National Mall and Memorial Parks also serves as a public park and open space for active civic and cultural engagement, recreation, and public enjoyment.
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