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How to Make Money and Create Community with Monuments - Volume 1

A Sense of Connection, Wonder and Community Allow the Big Blue Bear to Become a Denver Icon

A Sense of Wonder

Wistfully peering into the Colorado Convention Center, the 40-foot bear sculpture that stands outside of the building has come to serve as a new icon for Denver, Colorado. Officially known as “I See What You Mean,” the piece has provided an identity for the convention center while becoming the newest attraction for the surrounding community, […]

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Modern Monuments: The Oliver Pollock Fountain and Monument by Frank Hayden Celebrates Multiple Louisiana Legacies

Showcasing the power of monuments to connect spaces, people and entire eras.  

Commemorating Oliver Pollock, a mostly unknown hero and financier of the American Revolution, the Oliver Pollock Fountain and Monument defines Galvez Plaza in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Created by Frank Hayden in 1976 for Baton Rouge’s celebration of the U.S. bicentennial, it has come to serve a point of connection for audiences across the eras. […]

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Monumentous Potential: The Confederate Memorial of the Wind

Compelling a dedicated effort to repurpose the monument

Located on private land in Orange, Texas, the Confederate Memorial of the Wind is a circular monument built in a simplified neoclassical style. Erected in 2013 by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, it has 13 columns arranged in a circle, one for each Confederate state. It is also set to have 32 flags representing U.S. […]

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A Piece of Louisiana Culture Becomes an Icon for Lafayette

The “Little Iron” Heard Across Lafayette

The ’tit fer is a small, percussive instrument. Also called the triangle because of shape of the instrument, it allowed dancers to keep a beat to become an essential element of the culture across the French Louisiana region. This significance has seen it become a literal icon for the community of Lafayette, Louisiana, that resonates […]

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Steelstacks Represent the Successful Transformation of a Community Icon

How a Legacy of Steel can Evolve

The Bethlehem Steel plant supplied the United States with critical building materials and served as an essential element of the Lehigh Valley region for over a century in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This literal piece of regional history could have been lost when the plant was closed but it was instead transformed into SteelStacks, a ten-acre campus […]

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Soldier’s Grove Defines Multiple Eras and Communities for Harrisburg

Commemorating the Ultimate Sacrifice of Pennsylvania Citizens

Serving as the state of Pennsylvania’s Medal of Honor Memorial, Soldier’s Grove has become the most significant memorial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This four-acre setup was set aside in 1785 through the original town plan for the hoped-for establishment of Harrisburg as the state capital, showcasing how a memorial can impact the past, present and future […]

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Modern Monuments: “Crystal” by Roy Gustow Provides an Identity to Menaker Plaza and for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King City Government Center in Harrisburg

A means of identity that resonates with residents and visitors across the eras.

Named after the civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King City Government Center has become an important element of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The building represents the third generation of development to occupy this site, showcasing what it can mean for a landmark to transform a space and provide a means of identity for a […]

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