The Trump administration appears to finally be closing in on a site for the future “Garden of American Heroes”. According to The Washington Post, those responsible for the project are considering West Potomac Park in Washington, DC—just south of the National Mall.
Donald Trump envisions his pet project as a sculpture park with 250 life-size, “realistic” statues made of marble, granite, bronze, copper and brass depicting a hodgepodge of historical figures—George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Kobe Bryant and Alex Trebek are all on the list. The president has said that the project will be completed in time for the US’s semiquincentennial in July, but this seems increasingly unlikely, especially given that the sculptors who will create the garden’s statues have not yet been announced.
West Potomac Park is a popular location for intramural sports, flanked by the Potomac River and the cherry tree-laden Tidal Basin. The grassy fields lie near two major memorials dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr and Franklin Roosevelt—both of whom are on Trump’s list of heroes to be memorialised within the statuary garden.
News of the sculpture park’s potential location was gleaned from the president’s recent, two-hours-long interview with The New York Times. According to the transcript, he told reporters that although the site has not yet been officially finalised, “it’s getting close”. Furthermore, Trump added that this location is “more or less” the reason why he recently took over the adjacent public golf course.
The Washington Post notes that, given its proximity to the National Mall, West Potomac Park falls under the strict guidelines of the Commemorative Works Act. This means the project would need congressional approval, and plans have to be submitted to several commissions for review. However, the administration has a history of side-stepping these kinds of regulations.
Meanwhile down the road at the Smithsonian, the institution has complied with the Trump administration’s demand that it submit more documentation of labels, placards and other texts used in its museums. The materials will undergo a federal review aiming to find and eliminate “improper ideology”. Smithsonian secretary Lonnie G. Bunch told The Washington Post that the institution would “continue to provide responsive information on a rolling basis”, noting the importance of transparency.
Earlier this month, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery removed wall text mentioning Trump’s impeachments that had accompanied a portrait of the president in its permanent exhibition America’s Presidents. Whether the change was a result of White House review is unclear. (The portrait was also replaced with a different depiction of Trump.)
