After the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Governor Cuomo of New York established the LGBT Memorial Commission to create a public testament to the community's fight for equal rights. Now, the commission has announced a winning design for the memorial, unveiling early concept art and the location of the future work.
The winning LGBT memorial concept was designed by Anthony Goicolea, a Brooklyn-based mixed-media artist. It consists of nine modified boulders, some of which will be bisected by clear, laminated borosilicate glass. When the sun hits these various angled glass segments over the course of the day, they will act as prisms, fracturing the light into rainbows — the unifying symbol of the LGBT community.
The monument will be built in Hudson River Park, which is on the edge of Manhattan in Greenwich Village. That location is also significant, as the West Village has been a historically influential neighborhood in the history of LGBT rights movements.
Riverside LGBT Memorials
The LGBT Memorial Commission has Released a Concept for Hudson River Park
Trend Themes
1. LGBT Memorials - Opportunity for artists and designers to create innovative and visually stunning memorials that pay tribute to the LGBT community and their fight for equal rights.
2. Mixed-media Art - Emerging trend of using multiple artistic mediums to create impactful and thought-provoking artworks, like the LGBT memorial concept designed by Anthony Goicolea.
3. Light-based Installations - Increasing popularity of using light and glass in public artworks, such as the use of clear, laminated borosilicate glass in the LGBT memorial concept to create prisms and rainbows.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - Artists and designers can explore creative opportunities in developing LGBT memorials and mixed-media artworks that incorporate light and glass to visually represent the LGBT community.
2. Public Art - Opportunity for cities and communities to commission and display public artworks, particularly LGBT memorials and light-based installations, as a way to commemorate important events and movements.
3. Tourism and Recreation - Hudson River Park's selection as the location for the LGBT memorial highlights the potential of tourism and recreation industries to attract visitors and promote inclusivity by showcasing significant cultural landmarks.