World Monuments Fund
Join us in Cambodia and Myanmar in January 2013
Mark your calendars for January 5-19! WMF's annual trip to Cambodia to see the wonders of Angkor is being extended to include a visit to Myanmar. Write to [email protected] to learn more.

 

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Watch Site
of the Week
Every week on Facebook we take a closer look at one of the 2012 Watch sites. Be sure to check it out.

 

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$1 Million in Grants for 2012 Watch Sites
On May 14, WMF and American Express announced $1 million in grants to six sites on the 2012 Watch. The sites receiving funding are Balaji Ghat in Varnasi, India; the Canterbury Provincial Government Buildings in Christchurch, New Zealand; the former Cathedral Church of St. Michael in Coventry, United Kingdom; the Ruta de la Amistad in Mexico City, Mexico; the historic center of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil; and Sawara, Japan.
Phase II of Machiya Project Completed
The second phase of a WMF-supported project to bring greater recognition to the machiya (traditional townhouses) of Kyoto, listed collectively on the World Monuments Watch in 2010 and 2012, has been completed. This project entailed the restoration and conversion of a large machiya into a museum.
2010 Watch Site Restored, Reopened
The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Shobdon, Herefordshire, is a small and early masterpiece of "Strawberry Hill Gothic." Between 1755 and 1758 all but the western tower of this medieval church was demolished, and in its place a rococo Gothic structure was built in accordance with Horace Walpole's "Committee of Taste." The church was included on the 2010 Watch because of structural instability. As a result, English Heritage, WMF, and other groups contributed financial support and technical assistance for repair work. The restored church reopened at Shobdon's annual food festival on June 2.
Chinese Treasures Arrive in Hong Kong
Hundreds of thousands of people came to exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2010 and 2011 to see "The Emperor's Private Paradise," a special exhibition of objects from rooms in the Qianlong Garden in the Forbidden City, removed so that WMF could undertake conservation work with its partner, the Palace Museum. Due to the popularity of this exhibition, some 55 objects from that exhibition
show are a part of "A Lofty Retreat from the Red Dust: The Secret Garden of Emperor Qianlong" at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, on view from June 22 through October 10.
�2 Million for 2012 Watch Site
On July 11 it was announced that Quarr Abbey, a 2012 Watch site on Britain's Isle of Wight, will receive �2 million from the UK Heritage Lottery. Funds will be used for the conservation of medieval ruins and the abbey church, and for the creation of a visitor center that will interpret the history of the site and enhance visitors' understanding of the monastic way of life.
Watch WMF Talks on FORA.tv
WMF has partnered with FORA.tv in order to share our talks and lectures with a wider audience. Currently, three different talks are available to view on FORA.tv's website: an overview of WMF's work in India, a look at the restoration of the Chancellerie d'Orleans in Paris, and the 2012 Stern Lecture, given by Pico Iyer.