A four-part public conversation series featuring national scholars, local historians, artists, designers, and civic leaders exploring Monument Circle’s layered histories, contemporary meanings, and future possibilities. Conversation No. 1 is now announced, with three more conversations to be announced soon.
The Monument Knows Public Conversation No. 3 with Rasul Mowatt and Tiffany Tolbert
For the third of four public events for The Monument Knows, Monumental Gestures will bring together Rasul Mowatt, Department Head and Professor at North Carolina State University and Research Director for The Monument Knows, and Tiffany Tolbert, Co-Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Mowatt and Tolbert will explore what is missing from the Soldiers & Sailors Monument—whose histories it holds, whose it leaves out, and what it means to care for a landmark as living heritage rather than as a finished object.
The Monument Knows Public Conversation No. 2 with Taylor Schaffer and Blaine Zimmerman
For the second of four public events for The Monument Knows, this event will bring together Taylor Schaffer, President and CEO of Downtown Indy Alliance, and Blaine Zimmerman, Chief Talent and Marketing Officer at Indy Chamber and an officer in the Indiana National Guard. Schaffer and Zimmerman will explore how the Soldiers & Sailors Monument and Monument Circle are used today—from celebrations and civic events to their significance for veterans and active service members. Sampson Levingston, creator and host of Through2Eyes Indiana Walk and Talk, will moderate the conversation and lead a walking tour of the Circle following the event.
The Monument Knows: Public Conversation No. 1 with Salamishah Tillet and Jordan Ryan
To launch The Monument Knows, Monumental Gestures will host the first of four public events on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and cultural critic Salamishah Tillet alongside Indianapolis-based researcher and cultural strategist Jordan Ryan. Tillet will discuss the role monuments play in our society, and Ryan will provide a brief history of Monument Circle's role in Indianapolis.