Voters will weigh in on memorial
Freedom of the press to be focus of monument honoring Capital victims
Annapolis civil rights activist Carl Snowden didn’t want to build any more memorials in this city.
“Then, something happened here in Annapolis that changed what we were planning to do,” he said.
Initially, a memorial was to be erected to honor Gerald Fischman, Robert Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters — who were fatally shot in June when a gunman entered the newsroom of the Capital Gazette.
But Snowden believed the monument ought to serve a larger purpose: the freedom of the press as a whole.
At the suggestion of Capital Gazette Editor Rick Hutzell, the caucus widened its options, enlisting architects and artists to submit ideas. Jay Graham, principle architect of the Moody and Graham firm, unveiled nine designs for the “freedom of the press” memorial on Thursday, ranging in size, material and meaning.
Several probable designs are much more expansive than the original concept, a black stone memorial wall.
One, labeled “Shine the Light,” would plant five large, lit pillars, resembling giant stone candles. Another, “Lost Copy,” is a rectangular grassy knoll, curled upward at the long edges. Without any words on it, the lawn would represent a blank page, both noting the “absence” of the five victims as well as the optimistic outlook a blank page often symbolizes.
“The lawn, its form and contours evoking a casually laid newspaper, provides a place for visitors to relax, recline, play, and create their own moments and stories,” Graham said.
The concept entitled “Unite,” would place three panels — one for the history of a free press, one as a memorial for the victims and one as a chalkboard for people to write their thoughts upon — around a scene of newly planted trees and a bubbling fountain.
The design is based of an existing chalkboard garden, the “Freedom of Speech Wall,” in Charlottesville, Va.
Two designs directly evoke another national issue. In the “Impact,” one figure made of steel would be depicted destroying a figure made of wood, to represent the conflict between the First and Second Amendments.
“Although rigid and unforgiving materials seem like they would shatter with impact, and though softer more absorptive materials seem like they would cushion the blows of any force,” Graham said. “This is one of many contradictions we find in our world.”
In “Reflection,” one out of four sections would be a mirror, asking visitors to literally reflect on their own role in gun violence. Another section would be a devoted quiet space for people to contemplate their experience at the memorial itself.
The location of the memorial is yet to be determined because the scale is unknown. Voters will decide on which one they want, but organizers believe it will likely be placed on a private location with access to both the able-bodied and people with disabilities.
Voting will be held on a yet-to-be-chosen date in the new year at the Martin Luther King Jr. committee’s website, which will be – pending conversations – linked to or hosted on the Annapolis city website, as well as Capital Gazette and The Baltimore Sun. The Capital is published by Baltimore Sun Media Group.
After the poll is up, voters will have 90 days to choose. Once a monument is chosen, architects and collaborators may still tweak the design before settling on a final form.
As for what the proposed memorial will cost, Graham estimated it will range from $150,000 to $300,000.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee collected $10,000 so far at a “kick-off event” at Severn Bank in September, but the committee is in the process of figuring out how to raise the remaining cost. People can also send donations directly to the committee at P.O. Box 371, Annapolis.
The original proposal would have cost around $70,000 and was modeled after the Civil Rights Foot-Soldiers.
“Many felt that we should have a memorial that is unique to the situation,” Snowden said.
Mayor Gavin Buckley said that this proposed memorial will be one of several in the future that will be placed in city to honor the shooting victims.
“Our children will always remember the names of Wendi, Rebecca, Rob, Gerald and John because we will have a beautiful memorial to honor their lives and the freedom of the press here in the city of Annapolis,” the mayor said.
The caucus also announced Thursday that it has paid off the $50,000 loan from the city of Annapolis for the Civil Rights foot-soldiers memorial on the corner of Calvert and Clay Street 10 years ahead of schedule. The large stone plaque in Whitmore Park honors those who joined the March on Washington in 1963, a time when Annapolis itself was still segregated.
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