What Stories Remain Untold on the National Mall?
New Perspectives on the National Mall
August 18 –
September 18, 2023
Pulling Together was the pilot exhibition of the Beyond Granite initiative. The exhibition featured special works of art, performances, and programs on the National Mall in the summer of 2023, and was funded by the Mellon Foundation.
The Beyond Granite initiative is presented by the Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the National Capital Planning Commission and the National Park Service.
Beyond Granite: Pulling Together was the first curated outdoor exhibition in the history of the National Mall—and a powerful demonstration of what’s possible when we open our imaginations.
The Exhibition is curated by Dr. Paul Farber and Dr. Salamishah Tillet for Monument Lab.
1. Of Thee We Sing
by vanessa german
Lincoln Memorial Plaza
An innovative statue of Marian Anderson and her powerful 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert in segregated Washington, D.C., held up by a sea of hands.
2. For the Living
by Tiffany Chung
Constitution Gardens – West (near Vietnam Veterans Memorial)
A sprawling installation of a map of the world that traces the global routes of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees, located next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
3. The Soil You See…
by Wendy Red Star
Constitution Gardens
A monumental fingerprint with the names of the Apsáalooke (Crow) nation chiefs who signed treaties with the U.S. government, in dialogue with the nearby 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Memorial.
4. America’s Playground: DC
by Derrick Adams
Constitution Gardens – East
A monumental interactive playground that reflects the story of desegregated public spaces in the nation’s capital.
5. HOMEGOING
by Ashon T. Crawley
Washington Monument – South Grounds
A sonic memorial to the AIDS crisis that honors fallen Black queer musicians and spirituality.
6. Let Freedom Ring
by Paul Ramírez Jonas
Smithsonian Metro – 12th Street North
An interactive bell tower where passersby can play a monumental bell and share their personal story of freedom.
A Lasting Moment in Time
Pulling Together was inspired by the 1939 Easter Sunday performance of renowned Black opera singer, Marian Anderson, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as she was barred from nearby Constitution Hall due to segregation in the capital. Her performance remains monumental in public memory with educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune remarking at the time that the performance “told a story of hope for tomorrow–a story of triumph–a story of pulling together, a story of splendor and real democracy.”
A Fuller American Story
Responding to a central question — What stories remain untold on the National Mall? — the Pulling Together exhibition’s goal was to bring together innovative and experimental forms that explore Indigenous legacies, histories of enslavement, civil rights, LGBTQ activism, pathways for immigration, environmental justice, and other defining narratives of American resilience.
The exhibition was curated by Dr. Paul Farber and Dr. Salamishah Tillet for Monument Lab.
Meet the Artists
Hear from the six artists of Beyond Granite: Pulling Together about their visions and processes for creating their art installations for the National Mall.
Exhibition Events
Convening: Legacies and Futures of the National Mall / August 25, 2023
The leaders of Beyond Granite: Pulling Together hosted a dynamic day of conversation with leaders in arts, history, academia and policymaking to explore the rich history and transformative power of memory-making on the National Mall.
Opening Reception / August 17, 2023
After years of eager anticipation, the Trust for the National Mall was honored to host National Park Service Director Charles F. Sams III and the pilot exhibition’s six artists for a special reception that celebrated the art, artists, and stories told in Beyond Granite: Pulling Together.
Pilot Exhibition Reveal / December 7, 2022
Beyond Granite became so much more than a big idea when the pilot exhibition, Pulling Together, and its six visionary artists were officially announced to a packed house and live-streaming audience.
Artist and Theme Selection Process
Engage
The Trust for the National Mall invited Monument Lab to curate the pilot exhibition for the Beyond Granite initiative, seeking to expand artistic storytelling opportunities and experiment with new perspectives for the National Mall.
Research
Monument Lab gathered curatorial research on the history of the National Mall. Under the guidance of Monument Lab co-curators Paul Farber and Salamishah Tillet, they created a title and theme for the pilot exhibition of Beyond Granite: Pulling Together. Monument Lab tapped their ongoing research and expertise on working with artists who specialize in memorialization practices that transcend conventional monuments. They proposed an artist roster that included individuals whose work centers on public memory and civic participation; democracy and dissent; and the imagining of monuments that are interactive, accessible, and multi-sensory.
Curate
In coordination with the Trust for the National Mall, six artists were invited to participate in the pilot exhibition. Monument Lab asked the artists to create proposals for projects that would respond to the central curatorial prompt of the exhibition, “What stories remain untold on the National Mall?” Artists conducted site visits to the National Mall and held initial conversations with the curatorial team and lead partners toward project development.
Guide
Once the artists' concepts were fully developed and received, the Trust for the National Mall, the National Park Service, the National Capital Planning Commission, and Monument Lab worked with a 12-person Curatorial Advisory Board to review the artists’ proposals. This consultative group was composed of leaders in the monuments, museums, and public space sectors to review their projects. The Curatorial Advisory Board made suggestions for improvements and connections for the artists around interpretive opportunities to explore with local archives, constituencies, and organizations. The final artworks of Beyond Granite: Pulling Together were ultimately shaped by the artists and guided by curatorial feedback, in collaboration with the National Park Service around matters of feasibility.
Exhibition Credits
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Catherine Townsend, President & CEO
Teresa Durkin, Executive Vice President, Beyond Granite Principal
Julie Moore, Vice President of Communications
Lauren Wilson, Senior Project Manager, Beyond Granite Project Manager
Tricia Edwards, Event Manager
Hana Hancock, Communications Manager
Destinee Hodge, Senior Director of Special Programs
Eduard Krakhmalnikov, Director of Public Engagement Programs
Jasmine Musgrave, Manager, Marketing and Communications
Erin Plant, Public Engagement Manager
Jack Ronayne, Public Engagement Assistant
Aaron Webb, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications
Natalie Shanklin, Communications Manager (Emeritus)
Special thanks to Alpha Corporation
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Marcel Acosta, Executive Director
Julia Koster, Secretary to the Commission & Director of the Office of Public Engagement Johanna McCrehan Urban Planner, Policy & Research Division
Stephen Staudigl, Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Public Engagement
Brittney Drakeford, Urban Planner, Policy & Research Division
Angela Dupont, Senior Urban Planner, Policy & Research Division
Paul Jutton, Graphic Designer
Melissa Lindsjö, Urban Planner, Policy & Research Division
Michael Sherman, Director, Policy & Research Division
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Jeffrey Reinbold, Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks
Caridad de la Vega, Cultural Resources Program Manager
Brian Flynn, Landscape Architect
Sophia Kelly, Chief of Staff
Yue Li, Chief of Professional Services
Mike Litterst, Chief of Communications
Robin Nixon, Chief of Partnerships
Marisa Richardson, Chief of Permits Management
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Paul Farber and Salamishah Tillet, Co-Curators
Nico Rodriguez Melo, Lead Project Manager
Kareal Amenumey, Research Assistant
Maya Bjornson, Assistant Project Manager
Matthew Seamus Callinan. Exhibition Preparator
Amelia Carter, Managing Director
Corina Chang, Associate Director of Communications
Gina Ciralli, Senior Project Manager
Jen Cleary, Associate Director of Operations
Greta Gabriel, Research Manager
Justin Geller, Sound Specialist
Kristen Giannantonio, Chief Operating Officer
Jonai Gibson-Selix, Graphic Designer
William Hodgson, Renderings
Florie Hutchinson, External Media Lead
Adele Kenworthy, Assistant Project Manager
Gebby Keny, Intern
Patricia Eunji Kim, Senior Editor and Curator-at-Large
Sue Mobley, Director of Research
Aubree Penney, Senior Project Manager and Curatorial Associate
Stephani Pescitelli, Advancement Manager
Maya Plimack, Intern
Dina Paola Rodriguez, Social Media Manager
Tina Villadolid, Assistant Project Manager
Elliot Waters-Fleming, Assistant Project Manager
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Gretchen Dykstra, Copy Editor
Connie Harvey, Lead Designer
Wes Holloway, Accessibility Consultant
Rabiya Kassam-Clay, Educational Consultant
MING Media, Photography and Video
Ashley J. Mitchell, Photography
Blair Richardson, MiniSuper Studio Lead Designer
Symone Salib, Illustrator
Justin Spivey, Structural Engineer
Steve Weinik, Photography
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Mercer “Don” Edwards, Co-Founder & CEO
Donzell Robinson, COO & Principal
Alexis Robinson, Associate
Nina Young, Project Coordinator
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Elizabeth Morton, Professorial Lecturer in Sustainable Urban Planning, George Washington University
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Michael Akin, President
Christian Clansky, Director of Community Engagement
Kennedy Chester, Project Manager
Eugene Kinlow, Associate
Sheena Pegarido, Vice President, Communications and Events
Linda Roth, Media Advisor
Molly Flores, Project Manager (Emeritus)
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Kevin Gover, Under Secretary for Museums and Culture, Smithsonian Institution
Toni L. Griffin, Founder, urban american city; Professor in Practice of Urban Planning, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Laura Brower Hagood, Executive Director, DC History Center
Martha S. Jones, The Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor, Professor of History and a Professor at the SNF Agora Institute, The Johns Hopkins University
Bryan Lee, Founder/Director, Colloqate Design
Laura Huerta Migus, Deputy Director, Office of Museum Services, Institute of Library and Museum Services
Maria del Carmen Montoya, Artist, Ghana ThinkTank; Associate Professor Sculpture and Spatial Practices, Corcoran School of Art and Design
Katrina Phillips, Associate Professor of History, Macalester College
Monica Rhodes, Harvard LOEB Fellow
Kirk Savage, William S. Dietrich II Professor of History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh
Jason Schupbach, Dean of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Drexel University
Amber Wiley, Matt and Erika Nord Director, Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites / Presidential Associate Professor, Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design
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Leigh Davis, Interdisciplinary Artist
Lisa Fager, Executive Director at Black Georgetown Foundation
Stephany Fry, Museum Educator at Heurich House
Ted Gong, Executive Director 1882 Foundation
Margery Goldberg, Founder of Zenith Gallery
Pastor William Lamar, Pastor Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
Babatunde Oloyede, President and CEO at Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Inc.
Josef Palermo, Artist and community arts organizer
Lori Pitts, Artistic Director/ Founder at Ally Theatre Company and Voices Unbarred
Gail Rebhan, Photo Collage-ist
Brenda Richardson, Vice Chair, Friends of Oxon Run Park and Coordinator at Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative (APACC)
Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, Public arts creator, educator and organizer at Chalk Riot
Qawi Robinson, Resident and Photographer
Sarah Shoenfeld, Historian/Principal; Project Coordinator at Prologue DC; DC Legacy Project
Jessica Valoris, Artist + Community Facilitator
Timothy Wright, Owner Attucks Adams
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Kishana Harley, Exhibition Team Manager
Nick Hemenway, Exhibition Team Manager
Madison King, Exhibition Team Manager
Chanwoo Park, Exhibition Team Manager
Adam Shulman, Exhibition Team Manager
Charles Waters, Exhibition Team Manager
Mina Altman, Exhibition Team Member
Natalia Ames Ramello, Exhibition Team Member
Nana Ama Bentsi-Enchill, Exhibition Team Member
Sandy Cheng, Exhibition Team Member
Hannah Cianci, Exhibition Team Member
Mary Claire Daubendiek, Exhibition Team Member
Clara De Pablo, Exhibition Team Member
Isabel Echavarria, Exhibition Team Member
Logan Fillizola, Exhibition Team Member
Jasmine Gates, Exhibition Team Member
Rondez Green, Exhibition Team Member
Kitty Holbrooke, Exhibition Team Member
Shelby Hubbard, Exhibition Team Member
Demo Jeffrey, Exhibition Team Member
Elizabeth Keaney, Exhibition Team Member
Dylan Krinberg, Exhibition Team Member
Grace Marra, Exhibition Team Member
Ava Martin, Exhibition Team Member
Martina Maya-Callen, Exhibition Team Member
Jessica McNeil, Exhibition Team Member
Fontana Micucci, Exhibition Team Member
Diana Molina, Exhibition Team Member
Enrique Morales, Exhibition Team Member
Alicia Perkovich, Exhibition Team Member
Mat Ross, Exhibition Team Member
Anaya Shaw-Taylor, Exhibition Team Member
Chasity Smith, Exhibition Team Member
Logan Somerville, Exhibition Team Member
Miriam Julianna Sutton, Exhibition Team Member
Jayne Thomisee, Exhibition Team Member
Natalia Ventura, Exhibition Team Member
Savannah Imani Wade, Exhibition Team Member
Kerry Webster, Exhibition Team Member
Lianna Zaragoza, Exhibition Team Member