Whose name would you set in stone?
About the Project
Artist: Audrey Watkins
This work is made possible by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Un-monument initiative, brought to you by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
In the late 19th century, the Trustees of the Boston Public Library formed a committee to create a list of names to be carved into the facade of the McKim, Mead, and White building. At the time, the Trustees were all men of European descent, meaning they produced a list of 537 names that were also mostly men of European descent, with the exception of the 22 individuals highlighted on this website. Our Names imagines these 22 gathered together for a single portrait session, with the highlights of their illustrious careers included to show the shared characteristics of lives devoted to self-expression. While some are almost legendary figures, many of the stories shared here are of people struggling against societal norms in order to simply pursue their interests. To bring the work of the Trustees into the 21st century, Our Names invites Bostonians of 2025 to create a list of names for the 21st century. Whose name would you set in stone?
Click here to submit a name. Our Names seeks to celebrate those whose names have not been represented enough, and the responses will be compiled into a book that combines the 22 original names highlighted on this website with the names submitted by the public.
Click here to submit a name. Our Names seeks to celebrate those whose names have not been represented enough, and the responses will be compiled into a book that combines the 22 original names highlighted on this website with the names submitted by the public.
This work is made possible by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s Un-monument initiative, brought to you by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.