The Vermont Monuments Project is a multidisciplinary working group exploring how the stories we commemorate shape our collective understanding of justice, history, and belonging. Initiated in Spring 2025 by jen berger, the project brings together artists, historians, preservationists, and scholars to examine Vermont’s monuments and memorials and the narratives they uphold—or leave out. Through research, dialogue, and creative collaboration, the group investigates whose histories are remembered, whose are silenced, and how communities might reimagine public memory to reflect a more truthful and inclusive story of Vermont.

The 3-year project includes a statewide audit of existing monuments, community engagement sessions, and the co-creation of new artistic and scholarly responses. The project will culminate in public exhibitions, events, and digital resources that share findings and invite broader participation. By combining art, scholarship, and community voices, Reimagining Monuments and Memorials in Vermont challenges us to look critically at the past and imagine more just and representative ways of remembering together.