The Historic Districts Council (HDC), the citywide advocate for New York City’s historic neighborhoods, announces its annual preservation conference, “Looking Beyond Landmarks: Celebrating That Which is Difficult to Preserve.” The conference will take place at New York Law School, 185 West Broadway in Manhattan on May 20.

 

Looking Beyond Landmarks will examine sites that are difficult to preserve, including sites of cultural significance, non-buildings, places of commemoration and trauma, and monuments and public art. Hear from communities, scholars, and advocates on how they are preserving memory and how that is reflected in our physical space and structures.

 

The conference will begin with a keynote address given by Jonathan Kuhn, director of art and antiquities for the New York City Parks Department, who will examine the challenges and successes in preserving public art, how attitudes to monuments change over time, and anticipating the needs of new projects. The presentation will feature film, case studies, and much more!

 

In addition to the keynote address, the day will consist of three discussion panels.

 

Panel 1, Preserving Culture, will address the question: “How can communities preserve their intangible heritage that contributes to the sense of place?” Panelist Natalie Milbrodt is director of the Queens Memory Project and will share the initiative’s “Queens Name Explorer,” a growing archive of the borough’s places and sites named after individuals.

 

Panelist Grace Jiyun Lee is senior community development specialist and cultural districts manager for the City of San Francisco. She will discuss how the Cultural Districts program works to celebrate, preserve, and strengthen cultural assets and traditions. Finally, panelist Ramona Hernandez is director of CUNY’s Dominican Studies Institute and professor of sociology at City College. She will present her work on the creation of a Dominican Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Panel 2, Preserving Public Art, addresses the question: “How is public art, both government sanctioned and community created, being assessed and preserved?” Panelist Deborah Gardner, historian and curator of Roosevelt House, and a founding member of the NYC Chapter of the Living New Deal, an online repository of New Deal public works and resources, and sponsor of public programs, who will discuss the project.

 

Panelist Jane Weissman, is co-director of the community mural collective, Artmakers Inc., and co-author of “On the Wall: Four Decades of Community Murals in New York City,” who will discuss the challenges, successes, and failures of restoring community murals. Finally, panelist Loretta Howard, co-creator and executive director of “On This Spot,” a free digital mapping project that celebrates the artistic legacy of a diverse group of New York women artists through short form documentary video, will speak about the platform.

 

Panel 3, Preserving Memorials, will look at sites of memorialization, and how permanent or temporary memorials are being created. Panelist Juan Aguirre of “Mano a Mano,” an organization dedicated to celebrating Mexican culture in New York City, will discuss the organization’s collaboration with “Naming the Lost Memorials.”

 

Panelist Gina Pollara is working with the “Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition” to erect a permanent public memorial on the facade of the building where the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire occurred in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, in honor of the 146 victims who died in the blaze on March 25, 1911. The fire is considered a pivotal moment in history as it lead to the transformation of the labor code of New York State and the adoption of fire safety measures that served as a model for the whole country, according to Cornell University.

 

Panelist Immanuel Oni is and architect and recipient of the 2023 Arnold W. Brunner Grant for his project, “Beyond Memorial,” a collaboration with communities to create memorials to victims of gun violence in New York City.

 

The event will take place at New York Law School, 185 West Broadway, Manhattan, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Coffee, tea, water, and snacks will be served. Costs for the conference are $35 General Admission, $25 Friends of HDC & Seniors and the event is free for students with a valid ID. Continuing education credits for architects will be available, courtesy of AIA Brooklyn.

 

Tours: In addition to the May 20 programming, there are a series of walking tours taking place throughout June. Tours include East Harlem’s Community Murals, Mosaics, and Other Public Art on June 3 led by Marina Ortiz; Exploring the Significance of the African Burial Ground National Monument on June 10 led by a national park service park ranger; Take a Walk Through the Bronx’s Little Italy on June 17 led by Alexandra Maruri; and Discover the Public Art of Rockefeller Center on June 25 led by Phil Desiere.

 

Cost for tours: Friends of HDC / Students / Seniors $15; General Admission $20. Reservations are required for all programs. For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.hdc.org or call (212) 614 9107.

 

The Conference is generously supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Additional FY23 support is provided by New York City Council Members Erik Bottcher, Gale Brewer, Christopher Marte, Keith Powers, and Lincoln Restler.