BEYOND GRANITE FINDINGS REPORT RELEASED: Partners Celebrate Success of Pilot and Plan for the Future
WASHINGTON (June 3, 2024) — In the summer of 2023 the Beyond Granite pilot exhibition Pulling Together presented a dynamic series of art installations on the National Mall designed to create a more inclusive, equitable, and representative commemorative landscape in Washington, DC. Met with widespread critical acclaim, this inaugural exhibition helped bring new stories and perspectives to the nation’s most iconic commemorative space.
The Trust for the National Mall, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the National Park Service partnered to lead the Beyond Granite initiative, supported by the Mellon Foundation. A just-released Key Findings explores the lessons learned from the exhibition that can inform future iterations of the Beyond Granite initiative. Through in-person surveys, the public responded positively and thoughtfully to the use of temporary artworks to tell more of America’s stories in the nation’s capital. The report by Dr. Elizabeth Morton, the project’s evaluation consultant, can be read and downloaded from the Beyond Granite website, at www.beyondgranite.org/report.
“The feedback in the report is clear, experiencing commemorative art and untold stories on the National Mall is powerful and meaningful and visitors want to see more in the future,” said Catherine Townsend President & CEO of the Trust for the National Mall. "We are grateful for the many people who helped make this inaugural exhibition such a great success.
The Beyond Granite initiative was designed to test the potential impact of curated temporary artworks to create a more vibrant and diverse commemorative landscape in the nation’s most iconic commemorative space. The initiative is also focused on ways that this idea can be replicated and continued in future years beyond the term of this inaugural exhibition–on the National Mall, around Washington, DC, and beyond.
The exhibition was welcomed and well-received by those who participated in a survey administered by Dr. Morton and her team during the month-long exhibition.
Quick facts:
- Exhibition visitors primarily included locals (69% from the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia).
- About 68% of the total respondents came to the National Mall specifically to see the Beyond Granite: Pulling Together exhibition.
- 92% of respondents said they were likely to have a conversation about the artworks with a friend or family member.
- 79% of respondents believe the artwork’s location on the National Mall affected their impressions of the artwork.
- 91% of respondents would be likely to attend a future exhibition like Beyond Granite.
Survey findings included reconsidering the summer time slot (heat and lack of shade was challenging) and considering improving accessibility of the distance between the artworks, which were spaced across a 1.5 mile stretch of the National Mall. The project team received feedback that thematically connecting the National Mall to District of Columbia neighborhoods, as well as expanding the presence of the exhibition digitally, would make the exhibition and artworks accessible to even more people. Lastly, in turning to the future of Beyond Granite, respondents said that they would like to see more artworks and information about the history of the National Mall itself. Additional survey results can be found in the Key Findings report.
“The audience engagement survey revealed that there is enthusiasm and excitement for temporary artworks, and the appropriateness of the National Mall as a setting for them,” said Marcel Acosta, National Capital Planning Commission Executive Director. “The lessons we learned from the successful pilot will foster a more permanent program for temporary artworks that will help protect the National Mall’s finite open space.”
The partners worked with curators Paul Farber and Salamishah Tillet for Monument Lab and the six incredible artists who brought the inaugural exhibit, Beyond Granite: Pulling Together, to life: Derrick Adams, Tiffany Chung, Ashon T. Crawley, vanessa german, Paul Ramírez Jonas, and Wendy Red Star.
Dr. Elizabeth Morton is a planning educator and consultant specializing in urban design, cultural heritage, and public spaces. She teaches in George Washington University’s Sustainable Urban Planning graduate program.
The evaluation results in the Key Findings report include eight Recommendations for the Future to guide the next iteration of this initiative:
1. New possibilities for commemoration exist on the National Mall.
2. Build on the successful model of curation and artist-led storytelling.
3. Continue to be strategic and brave about site selection.
4. Leverage federal experience with commemoration planning, design, and review.
5. Take time to build new partnerships and nurture existing ones.
6. Invest in relationships with local artists, local organizations, and local neighborhoods.
7. Build in essential opportunities for interaction and interpretation.
8. Explore dedicated temporary sites.
The partners, led by the Trust for the National Mall, are developing ideas for the next iteration of Beyond Granite.
“As confirmed by the evaluation and key findings, Beyond Granite: Pulling Together was tremendously successfully in helping present our shared history in new and innovative ways,” said Jeff Reinbold, superintendent of the National Park Service’s National Mall and Memorial Parks. “We look forward to working with our partners to present future installations on the National Mall and beyond.”
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ABOUT BEYOND GRANITE: The Beyond Granite initiative is led by the Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service, and is funded by the Mellon Foundation. The project’s inaugural exhibit, titled Pulling Together, was curated by Paul Farber and Salamishah Tillet for Monument Lab. Learn more at https://www.beyondgranite.org/.
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. National Mall and Memorial Parks (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
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