CHICAGO, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An international design competition is underway for a Covid memorial monument. The winning design will be awarded $20,000 USD.
A distinguished panel of judges will make the selection. The final design will determine in part where the monument will be constructed, however negotiations are underway for a permanent site.
According to Covid Monument Memorial Commission Chair, Dr. Sally Metzler, “The design should embody honor, remembrance and resilience…honor those front lines heroes, remember those that lost the battle to Covid, and applaud the resilience of so many who showed courage during the global pandemic.”
Metzler, an art historian, explains, “They are the nurses, doctors, health care workers, public service sector employees, airline and restaurant personnel, those who rang up our groceries and medicines, delivered our packages, drove our buses, and many more. They all encountered risks dealing with an unknown illness.” Further, she cites that the discovery and distribution of vaccines, facilitated by many agencies, saved millions of lives. “This triumph of science and testing must be lauded and serve as a reminder of hope in the face of adversity.”
Worldwide, about 7 million people have died from Covid and its variants. Nearly 800 million people have been infected. No other event in the past two centuries has touched so many people around the world. The winning design will provide a moving and creative concept that speaks to nations and cultures everywhere.
The design concept may include one large structure or several structures. Designers should envision the monument as a major outdoor or indoor public sculpture or art installation and may or may not suggest a specific site in which to place the monument. The concept and materials are expected to be in harmony with the environment and cultural topography.
The competition is open to professional and nonprofessional artists, architects, designers, and others around the globe. The only requirement is that the applicant be 18 years or older. The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2023.
Commissioner Vice Chair, William E. Richards, an investment and Family Office executive, draws parallels to the design competition for the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. more than 40 years ago. The design ultimately came from an undergraduate student, Maya Lin at Yale University.
The design competition is organized under the aegis of The Hektoen Institute of Medicine (https://www.hektoen.org/), a non-profit educational and research organization founded 60 years ago by a group of prominent Chicago physicians. The Institute administers grants to improve care and resources for patients, conducts medical research, and provides education. Sponsors include Christie’s art and auction house, Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois/NANI and Strive Health, the U.S. leader in value-based kidney care.
For more information or to submit a design, visit the website https://covidmemorialmonument.org/.
Interested parties are encouraged to follow the monument on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Covid-Memorial-Monument/100087166857267/
https://twitter.com/covidmonument/
https://www.instagram.com/covidmemorialmonument/
