COVID-19 Memorial Monument of Honor, Remembrance and Resilience
The COVID-19 Memorial Monument of Honor, Remembrance & Resilience is a public memorial under construction in the Illinois Medical District of Chicago, Illinois. The monument consists of five illuminated stainless steel sculptures designed to commemorate the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and honor healthcare workers and frontline workers who responded to the crisis. The monument is scheduled for completion in late 2025.[1][2]
Design
[edit]The memorial is designated to be constructed at 2023 W. Ogden Avenue in Chicago's Near West Side, occupying a one-acre triangular plot at the intersection of West Ogden Avenue, South Damen Avenue, and West Polk Street. The site lies between the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center within the Illinois Medical District, which represents the nation's oldest and largest concentration of healthcare facilities. The monument will be surrounded by a newly developed green space featuring benches "for reflection, meditation and healing".[1][2]
The monument's proposed design features five interconnected sculptures reaching 25 feet in height, crafted from stainless steel with multi-colored illumination. Each sculpture was designed to resemble both a dandelion puff and a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle, the former representing the pandemic's worldwide reach.[1]
History
[edit]The project was first planned by the COVID-19 Monument Commission, established in 2021 by art historian Sally Metzler and operating under the Hektoen Institute of Medicine. After running a competition in 2023 to select the memorial's design, the commission through a 2023 awarded Casey Schachner, a Georgia Southern University art professor, $20,000 for her winning concept.[1][3]
The site preparation began with the demolition of the former Easter Seals building in mid-2024.[1]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Chicago will be home of global COVID-19 monument to honor victims, front-line workers". Chicago Sun-Times. February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "The Monument". COVID-19 Memorial Monument. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ Redmon, Jeremy. "Georgia artist selected to design memorial honoring COVID-19 victims". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
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