 | |
| Founded | 1965; 60 years ago (1965) |
|---|---|
| Founder | James A. Gray (1909–1994) |
| Type | Arts and Culture |
| 13-2571900 | |
| Focus | Architectural conservation,historic preservation,archaeology,cultural heritage management |
| Location | |
Area served | Global |
| Method | Fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, training |
Key people | Bénédicte de Montlaur, Chief Executive Officer[1] |
| Revenue | $16.3 million (2010)[2] |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | International Fund for Monuments (1965–1984) |
| WMF has affiliates in Cambodia, Peru, France, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom | |
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international,non-profit organization dedicated to thepreservation of historicarchitecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training.
Founded in 1965, WMF is headquartered inNew York, and has offices and affiliates around the world, includingCambodia,France,Peru,Portugal,Spain, and theUnited Kingdom. In addition to hands-on management, the affiliates identify, develop, and manage projects, negotiate local partnerships, and attract local support to complement funds provided by donors.[3]
The International Fund for Monuments (IFM) was an organization created by Colonel James A. Gray (1909–1994) after his retirement from theU.S. Army in 1960. Gray had conceived of a visionary project to arrest the settlement of theLeaning Tower of Pisa by freezing the soil underneath, and he formed the organization in 1965 as a vehicle for the implementation of this idea. Even though this project did not materialize, an opportunity arose for the young organization to participate in the conservation of therock-hewn churches ofLalibela inEthiopia. In 1966 Gray secured the support of philanthropistLila Acheson Wallace (1889–1984), who offered $150,000 to the International Fund for Monuments andUNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) for this project. The project continued until the Communist overthrow ofHaile Selassie I and the subsequent expulsion of foreigners from Ethiopia. After Ethiopia, Gray's interests shifted toEaster Island (Rapa Nui) off the coast ofChile. Gray formed the "Easter Island Committee", with Norwegian ethnographer and adventurerThor Heyerdahl (1914–2002) as its honorary chairman. Gray arranged to have one of the monolithic human figures known asmoai exhibited in the United States. With the help of anthropologistWilliam Mulloy (1917–1978), Gray selected an 8-foot-tall (2.4 m), five-ton head, which was exhibited in front of theSeagram Building in New York and in thePan American Union Building in Washington, D.C.
An important chapter for the organization started with its involvement in the broad international effort led by UNESCO for the protection of the city ofVenice,Italy from catastrophic flooding. After the extremely high tide of 4 November 1966, the city, including the historicPiazza San Marco, was inundated for more than 24 hours. The International Fund for Monuments set up a "Venice Committee", with Professor John McAndrew (1904–1978) ofWellesley College as chairman and Gray as executive secretary. On the part of the committee, appeals were made to the American public, and local chapters set up in American cities. This early initiative led to the formation of the independent organization Save Venice in 1971.[4] These efforts helped establish a reputation for IFM. InSpain, the organization formed a Committee for Spain under the leadership of American diplomat andU.S. Ambassador to Spain in 1965–67Angier Biddle Duke (1915–1995).
At the invitation of UNESCO in the 1970s, IFM became involved in architectural conservation inNepal, where the organization adopted the Mahadev temple complex inGokarna, in Nepal'sKathmandu Valley. The 14th-century temple building was surveyed, rotten timbers were replaced, and the foundations were strengthened. Sculpted wooden architectural elements were painstakingly cleaned of layers of amotor oil coating that had been applied annually for protection.
Also at the request of UNESCO, IFM launched a project for the preservation of theCitadelle Laferrière, a large mountaintopfortress nearMilot,Haiti. The site was the keystone of a defensive system constructed in the early period of Haitian independence to protect the young state from French attempts to reclaim it as a colony. Local artisans reconstructed wooden and tile roofs over the grand gallery and batteries using traditional carpentry methods, and consolidated the stone galleries of the fortress. IFM also sponsored a traveling exhibition and a film about the history of theCitadelle, which was used for educational purposes in the United States.[5]
Through donations and matching funds, WMF has worked with local community and government partners worldwide to safeguard and conserve places of historic value for future generations. To date, WMF has worked at more than 500 sites in 91 countries, including manyUNESCO World Heritage Sites. WMF has worked at internationally famous tourist attractions, as well as lesser-known sites.
Among highly prominent projects, starting in 1990, are many temples atAngkor,Cambodia, includingPreah Khan andPhnom Bakheng; theChâteau de Chantilly in Chantilly, France; the ghost town ofCraco, Italy; many structures inRome, including theTemple of Hercules,Santa Maria Antiqua, and theHouse of Augustus; several sites onEaster Island; various sites at ancientLuxor in Egypt;Lalibela in Ethiopia;San Ignacio Miní in Argentina; the ancient Maya city ofNaranjo, Guatemala; theSegovia Aqueduct in Segovia, Spain; as well as 25 projects inVenice, Italy, over 20 years. WMF has also participated in projects in the United States, includingEllis Island,Taos Pueblo,Mesa Verde National Park, theMount Lebanon Shaker Society, and many sites inNew Orleans and theGulf Coast.
Every two years WMF publishes theWorld Monuments Watch (formerly theWorld Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites). Since the first list was compiled in 1996, this program has drawn international attention to cultural heritage sites around the world threatened by neglect, vandalism, armed conflict, commercial development, natural disasters, and climate change. Through theWorld Monuments Watch, WMF fosters community support for the protection of endangered sites, and attracts technical and financial support for the sites. A detailed list of each event is available in the corresponding year:1996,1998,2000,2002,2004,2006,2008,2010,2012,2014,2016,2018, and2020.
The sites are nominated by international and local preservation groups and professionals, including local authorities. Sites of all types, including secular and religious architecture, archaeological sites, landscapes and townscapes, and dating from all time periods, from ancient to contemporary, are eligible. An independent panel of international experts reviews and selects the sites that make up the list.[6] In 2010 the panelists wereChristina Cameron, Alfredo Conti, Pierre-André Lablaude, Jeanne Marie Teutonico, and Christopher Young.[7]
WMF also operates a number of special initiatives that transcend individual projects at specific sites and address broader themes in heritage preservation.
Following theIraq War, WMF created the Iraq Cultural Heritage Conservation Initiative to address the many threats to Iraq's cultural heritage resulting from the occupation and from a long period of political isolation and conflict. At the ancient city ofBabylon, WMF has launched a program with the support of theUnited States Department of State to develop a comprehensive site management plan, help local officials prepare a nomination forWorld Heritage listing, and establish site boundaries for the long-term protection of the ancient city.[8]
In 2006, with the support of theKnoll furniture company, WMF launched "Modernism at Risk", an advocacy and conservation program forModernist architecture.[9] Through this initiative, the biennialWorld Monuments Fund / Knoll Modernism Prize was established in 2008. The inaugural prize was awarded to Brenne Gesellschaft von Architekten for the restoration of the formerADGB Trade Union School in Germany, which was inscribed as part of theBauhaus World Heritage Site in July 2017.
Each year, the World Monuments Fund's Hadrian Gala honours "Champions of Conservation" for their passionate commitment and extraordinary contributions to preserving and protecting the world's shared cultural heritage.
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Some of WMF's long-term partners have includedAmerican Express,Knoll, the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage, theSamuel H. Kress Foundation, andTiffany & Co. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation's relationship with the organization dates almost to the inception of the International Fund for Monuments.
In 2009, WMF agreed to share approximately 2,000 images of architecture, sites, and monuments from around the world to be made available byArtstor.[16]
WMF has partnered withWilliamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, the only high school in the United States with a four-year comprehensive historic preservation curriculum.[17]
In May 2022, WMF announced a collaboration of digital work for the 2024 reopening of theMetropolitan Museum of Art's African, ancient American, and Oceanic art galleries. The digital project "aims to bolster the understanding of several historic sites in sub-Saharan Africa", in particular sites that have been minimally explored by Western museums.[18]
In 2023, World Monuments Fund andGlobal Heritage Fund announced a Strategic Affiliation.[19] The affiliation aims to create a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for cultural heritage protection worldwide.[20] WMF added GHF’s two active projects, Dali Village inGuizhou,China, andCiudad Perdida inColombia, to the WMF project portfolio.[19]
