World Monuments Fund
April 2010
This Earth Day, Vote for WMF!
Today is Earth Day, a time to remember that environmental conservation and heritage preservation work together to protect the earth and humanity's legacy on it. Preserving a building, for example, is usually far less costly both financially and environmentally than tearing down and rebuilding. Help us continue our mission by voting for us in the American Express Member's Project voting contest. We're in the running to win $200,000 to save cultural heritage at risk around the world.

Log in and vote here.
WMF Awards $1 Million to Huaca de la Luna
In early April, WMF announced the award of $1 million to Huaca de la Luna, one of the most significant Moche ceremonial sites in Peru. The funds will support the completion of conservation work in the temple's primary plaza, and a management plan that will make the site eligible for World Heritage listing. In conjunction with this announcement, WMF launched a Peruvian national committee under the leadership of Marcela Perez de Cuellar, the wife of former UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. The committee will help WMF identify and generate local support for future projects in Peru.
Digital Documentation of Babylon
This past winter, WMF invited CyArk to digitally document the Ishtar Gate and surrounding areas in Babylon, Iraq, to produce an accurate record of the current conditions and key elements of the site. This process also introduced the technology to the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage staff. The data will be used to generate site plans and drawings, as well as virtual tours. As more analyses are made, we will be able to compare the scans to historic images and see how the site has changed over time.
Project in Syria Completed
WMF's multi-year project at Shayzar Castle in Syria was recently completed. We funded the stabilization and structural consolidation of the structure, which had been in a precarious state, and helped prepare the site for tourism by putting in a ticket office, creating information panels, and training local guides. Metal gates were installed to prevent vandalism, which had been a significant cause of damage to the site. Our work here has not only addressed critical conservation measures, but has put this important cultural site on the tourist map, creating local economic opportunities. It has also prompted Syrian authorities to continue conservation work on other parts of the site.
Watch Updates - Breaking News
Two Modern buildings recently got some good news. Miami-Dade County Commissioners have just passed a resolution to allocate $3 million to begin preservation work at Miami Marine Stadium, a 2010 Watch site. A recent study funded by WMF showed that restoration costs on this historic powerboat stadium would be $5.5 to $8.5 million, far less than the original estimate of $15 million.

Richard Neutra's Cyclorama in Gettysburg, PA, listed on the 2006 Watch, was threatened with demolition by the National Park Service. A federal judge recently staved off demolition, telling the NPS that it must go back and reconsider its 1999 decision to raze the building before it can take any action to knock down the structure.
Trip Results in Cambodian Dancer's Success
When Anne Bass visited Cambodia on a WMF trip in 2000, she spotted a teenage dancer, Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, performing at Angkor. Bass, a longtime patron of dance in America, was so taken with his talent that she arranged for him to come to New York to audition for the School of American Ballet. After intensive tutoring, he was successful in his audition and admitted to the school. Bass produced and directed Dancing Across Borders, a fascinating documentary that tells Sy's amazing story. You can see the trailer and list of upcoming screenings here.
UPCOMING EVENTS

The last chance to view Modernism at Risk
in New York is May 1.

Saving Our Past lecture in New Orleans, May 10.

New Lives for Old Buildings, May 4, London

Robert Adam at Syon House, May 12, London

WMF IN THE NEWS

The New York Times:
After Years of War and Abuse, New Hope for Ancient Babylon

Metropolis:
Design Activists: Raise Your Flag High!

El Comercio:
Donan US$1 Millón para Trabajos de Conservación en Huaca de la Luna

Latin American Herald Tribune:
Peru Gets $1 Million to Preserve Archaeological Treasure

BBC:
The Closure of Sheerness Dockyard 50 Years on

Time's Tuned In Blog:
Tuned In Architecture: New Orleans

Smithsonian:
Glimpses of the Lost World of Alchi
      
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WORLD MONUMENTS FUND
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646-424-9594