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AMERICAN EXPRESS GRANTS FOR NINE 2014 WATCH SITES

American Express has awarded grants totaling $1.5 million for nine sites on the 2014 World Monuments Watch. The sites receiving funding are Pokfulam Village in Hong Kong (SAR), China; the churches of Saint Merri and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Paris, France; the Farnese Aviaries in Rome, Italy; Tenyuji Temple in Ogatsu, Japan; Fundidora Park in Monterrey, Mexico; the G�ell Pavilions in Barcelona, Spain; the House of Wonders in Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania; Battersea Power Station in London, United Kingdom; and Sulgrave Manor in Sulgrave, United Kingdom. The awards are part of American Express' most recent five-year, $5 million commitment to the World Monuments Watch program. American Express is founding sponsor of the Watch program. 


Quinta de Presa and George Nakashima's house.

FRIENDS OF HERITAGE PRESERVATION 
SUPPORTS TWO WATCH SITES

Friends of Heritage Preservation (FoHP), a Los Angeles-based group of philanthropists devoted to supporting the preservation of art and architecture, has provided support to WMF for work at two World Monuments Watch sites: Quinta de Presa in Lima, Peru, on the 2012 Watch and a 50th Anniversary priority project, and the George Nakashima House, Studio, and Workshop in Pennsylvania, on the 2014 Watch. At Quinta de Presa, the grant will support work with local stakeholders on the development of a viable adaptive reuse strategy as well as management and business plans. The award to the Nakashima property will support documentation, planning, and a craftsmanship training program to foster and maintain traditional skills. These grants mark 14 years of cooperation with FoHP. 



CELEBRATING ROME'S TEMPLE OF PORTUNUS
 

An event on July 10 in Rome's Forum Boarium celebrated the completion of conservation work of the Temple of Portunus, one of the oldest intact buildings in the Italian capital. Beginning in 2006, WMF, with the support of American Express, collaborated with the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma to conserve the building following the successful conservation of the neighboring Temple of Hercules. Representatives from WMF, American Express, and the Soprintendenza spoke at the event, which also included a musical performance. 


The Portuguese fort on Kilwa Kisiwani.

KILWA KISIWANI REMOVED FROM UNESCO DANGER LIST, BATTIR ADDED
 

Thanks in part to WMF's involvement in the development of management and conservation plans for Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara in Tanzania, the site was removed from the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger at the organization's June meeting in Doha. WMF began working at this important East African heritage site in 2008 in partnership with local community members.

 

At the same meeting in Doha, the World Heritage Committee added Battir in the West Bank to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. The site is on the 2014 World Monuments Watch due to a planned Israeli security barrier that would cut through the site, destroying the integrity of this millennia-old cultural landscape and severely disrupting the lives of its inhabitants. The construction of the barrier is currently stalled while the issue is being considered by the Israeli supreme court. 



ROUTE 66 REPORT PUBLISHED 
 
The report on Route 66: The Road Ahead, the strategic roundtable held in November 2013 in Anaheim, CA, has been published.The event and this report are a follow-up to the Route 66 Economic Impact Study, which was completed in 2012. The report aims to galvanize collective action to preserve Route 66.

1 sol coin featuring Huaca de la Luna.

NEW PERUVIAN COIN CELEBRATES HUACA DE LA LUNA

Earlier this summer Peru launched a new 1 sol coin featuring a mural and one of the principal Moche deities found at Huaca de la Luna, an imporant archaeological site near Trujillo in the north of the country. Since 2001 WMF has supported preservation work at the site, an award-winning project balancing conservation, archaeology, and interpretation. 

Participants in Fundidora Park's Watch Day.

WATCH DAY A SUCCESS AT FUNDIDORA PARK

  

On August 10, 2014, Horno 3 in Fundidora Park, an industrial archaeology museum and public park in Monterrey, Mexico, celebrated its seventh anniversary with a World Monuments Watch Day public program. The day included free access to the museum, guided tours, science demonstrations, drawings exhibitions, typical dances, and refreshments for nearly 3,000 visitors. At the closing of the program, a grant from American Express through WMF was publicly announced, as was the launch of a public campaign to raise additional funds to support the much-needed conservation work.

JOIN US FOR OUR ARCHTOBER LECTURE IN OCTOBER
 
The very places that convey great achievements, the passage of time, and the stability of culture are frequently proving fragile against the backdrop of natural disaster, warfare, and civil and religious conflict. Join WMF for an evening of discovery about these struggles and efforts to protect and conserve these magnificent records of cultural history. The lecture will be presented by Lisa Ackerman, WMF's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

This lecture is part of AIA New York's Archtober, New York City's annual Architecture and Design Month. Due to security requirements at the Empire State Building, where WMF's office is located, RSVPs are required. RSVP to [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2014 HADRIAN GALA & AFTER PARTY
 
The 2014 Hadrian Gala will be on October 22 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. WMF will honor interior designer Mica Erteg�n and artist Ellsworth Kelly. We hope you will join us for this event or for the after party following the gala.

2016 WATCH NOMINATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED 
 
Every two years,  WMF accepts new nominations to the World Monuments Watch. The Watch calls international attention to cultural heritage around the world that is at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. From archaeological sites to iconic architecture, cultural landscapes to historic urban centers, the Watch identifies places of significance in need of timely action.
  
Nearly 700 sites on all seven continents have been included in the ten Watch cycles since 1996. Watch listing provides an opportunity for sites and their nominators to raise public awareness, foster local participation, advance innovation and collaboration, and demonstrate effective solutions. The 2014 Watch has been covered by more than 1,000 news outlets in over 80 countries, with circulation to over 500 million people worldwide. By capitalizing on the attention raised by Watch listing, local entities have leveraged support for Watch sites totaling over $200 million. WMF has contributed an additional $100 million toward projects at Watch sites in more than 80 countries.
  
Nominating a site to the Watch is a two-part process. Please  submit an initial inquiry, after which a username and password will be provided to access the secure Online Nomination Form.

More information about the 2016 World Monuments Watch can be found at wmf.org/watch.
  
Questions about the nomination process should be directed to  [email protected].
  
Please forward this e-mail to colleagues and contacts who might be interested in submitting a nomination.

WORLD MONUMENTS FUND IN THE NEWS

TAKE A STAND: TWO OPPORTUNITIES
PRESERVE AN UNSPOILED VISTA

Join WMF alongside four former New Jersey governors in taking a stand against LG Electronics USA's plan to build a corporate headquarters tower that would forever mar the vista of the landmarked Hudson River Palisades.
SUPPORT SYRIA'S HERITAGE

When the crisis in Syria is over, what will remain of its irreplaceable architectural legacy and cultural heritage? Join WMF and add your voice in support of the war-torn country's treasures.


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