Community Art Project Redefines Engagement with Public Monuments

A new community art initiative is reshaping how locals interact with public monuments and shared histories.

(un)Set as stone was launched on Saturday, featuring a chalkboard-covered obelisk that travels through Montgomery. It encourages community members to draw, write, and express their thoughts on a central theme: “What should I remember in your neighborhood?”

The project’s artist emphasizes its relevance to ongoing national debates regarding restrictions on the removal of Confederate monuments and the nature of public memory. Unlike a static installation representing a single viewpoint, this mobile monument operates as a living canvas, facilitating community dialogue and collective reflection.

“We frequently hear about new monuments being constructed or old ones being taken down. Yet, there seems to be a lack of forums for citizens to envision these structures,” the artist, Hose Vazquez, explained. “The chalkboard surface allows for contributions that can be documented through photographs and later erased, making room for new voices.”

“The inspiration for this came largely from the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue at Percy Julian High School,” artist Ashley Edwards noted.

Vasquez collaborated with artists Ashley Leshaun and Robin Chapman to bring this project to life.

The initiative grapples with significant questions surrounding contemporary public art. How can monuments foster dialogue within communities instead of imposing a singular story? What outcomes arise when emphasis is placed on participatory processes over permanence?

Montgomery, a pivotal location in American civil rights history, is envisioned as a testing ground for innovative ways to commemorate and engage communities through artistic means.

All interactions with the monument will be documented, creating an archive of community contributions that will inform an exhibition planned for January 2026. This documentation ensures that the temporary chalk messages find a place in a lasting record of public discourse.

The project invites art critics, curators, and cultural commentators to observe this participatory monument-building experiment as it unfolds across various locations and cultural settings in Montgomery.

The next event will take place at the Gretz Literacy Festival, scheduled for September 27th, from 1 PM to 4 PM at the United Evangelical Lutheran Church.