Abstract
- This report was commissioned by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC), the Boston Art Commission (BAC), and the City of Boston and served as the culminating project of my time as a Summer Research Intern from May to August of 2018. The report provides an overview of the national dialogue surrounding monuments, their sometimes-contested statuses in public space, and the calls for removal. These debates were framed in reference to Boston’s public art collection, as per the BAC and MOAC's request. The report includes summaries of how other cities have tackled this issue, and a study of six local monuments that are in some way controversial or offer opportunities to engage with painful histories. This report was revisited at the June 9, 2020 public meeting of the BAC and contributed to the decision to remove Boston's Emancipation Group sculpture from public space. For more info published by the City of Boston please see: https://www.boston.gov/news/opportunity-change.