Barton adapted the activity from Monument Lab’s Field Trip, which was developed by Kanyinsola Anifowoshe, Paul Farber, Patricia Eunji Kim, Hilary M.V. Leathem, Sue Mobley, and Yannick Trapman-O'Brien, but the ideas in Asheville clearly had local roots.
Many of the students chose to focus on the Vance Monument, proposing to replace it, modify it, or build from it. From a historic approach that built from data from the 1910 census to a modern concept that combined technology and art to imagine a giant biofeedback system, the ideas explored many options. Students discussed removing the monument or breaking it and recycling it into something new. Some students selected other sites and focal points to honor the area’s indigenous heritage.
Junior fine arts major Matthew Rich from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, proposed a monument called “RE-SOURCES.” His idea combined public transportation funding and a monument as a center for education and community gathering, as well as a place for joy and connection.
“I was thinking of a really broad definition of monument (something that engages with the past and present but also lays the foundation for a better future), and so it ties into city policy as well as the community,” said Rich.