NPR: A groundbreaking exhibition on the National Mall shows monuments aren't set in stone

Written By Christian Clansky

NPR / by Neda Ulaby / Aired and Published on August 28, 2023

Kids are running all over a temporary playground in the middle of the National Mall. It's part of Beyond Granite: Pulling Together, the Mall's first-ever official outdoor show. The idea is to commemorate American stories missing from the Mall and question how history has been enshrined in stone.

These new monuments look very different from the familiar imposing white monoliths or bronze presidents in thoughtful repose. Six acclaimed artists representing a cross-section of Americans – Black, Latino, Asian and Native – from all over the country were chosen by the Philadelphia-based group Monument Lab to participate.

Christian Clansky
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