Monumental Changes: History and Power in Public Art

Four people sit in front of a projection screen
Monumental Changes: History and Power in Public Art. Panel discussion featuring Danicia Monet, Jordan Ryan, and Paul Mullins, moderated by Kavita Mahoney (R to L). Photo by L. Holzman.
Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN. 2021.

For nearly a century, Garfield Park in Indianapolis was the site of a Confederate monument. Designed first for a local cemetery and later reinstalled in the park, the monument was quietly removed in June 2020. Monumental Changes invited audiences to reckon with the history and memory tied to the former monument, get inspired by the way other public art practices blend power and creativity, and help envision a future for public art in the park.

I co-curated this exhibition with Kavita Mahoney and Abi Lindstedt at the Garfield Park Arts Center (a division of Indy Parks & Recreation). It features interactive elements designed by undergraduate students in my fall 2021 course, Public Art + Power.

The exhibit opening and panel discussion, featuring Paul MullinsJordan Ryan, and Danicia Monet, won the runner-up Award of Awesomeness from the 2021 Spirit & Place Festival.

An invitation to the Monumental Changes exhibit and opening events. It includes a photo of a portion of the Confederate monument that was removed from Garfield Park in 2020.
Image by Abi Lindstedt