This Year’s HDC Preservation Conference Will Focus on Public Art and Cultural Sites

The Historic District Council’s annual preservation conference returns with an examination of sites that are difficult to preserve. Via presentations and conversations, advocates and scholars will share stories of sites of cultural importance, monuments, public art, and places of commemoration.

Three in-person panels aligned with the conference theme of “Looking Beyond Landmarks: Celebrating That Which Is Difficult to Preserve” will take place on Saturday, May 20. Jonathan Kuhn, Director of Art and Antiquities for the New York City Parks Department, will be the keynote speaker, highlighting the challenges faced in his work to protect the city’s “outdoor museum.”

In addition to the main event, a series of walking tours is being offered in June that will continue the conversation about preservation and history. You can examine the public art of East Harlem, explore the African Burial Ground National Monument, stroll through Little Italy in The Bronx, and look at the art of Rockefeller Center.

The conference will take place at the New York Law School in Manhattan from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 20. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $25 for seniors and friends of HDC, and free for students. More information on the program and registration details can be found at the conference page online.

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