As our nation continues to grapple with significant challenges—from racial injustice to climate change, and pandemic recovery— the work of preservation must adapt and respond to ensure our movement remains a resilient, relevant force for positive change. The complexity and scale of these...
Editor's Note: For a look back at 2020 check out last week's post Looking Back on 2020: Where Do We Go From Here? and make sure to share your preservation resolutions on Forum Connect. 2020 was a rough year. For thousands of non-profit organizations across the country in small towns and...
In late July 2020, preservationists from across the country gathered for the Dismantle Preservation Virtual Unconference. Organized and sponsored by Sarah Marsom a heritage resource consultant, this conference directly addressed some of the problematic areas of the preservation profession to...
January 23, 2020, was an unseasonably warm night for New England. I almost left the house in a short-sleeved sweater—but I was glad when I arrived at Grace Church in downtown Providence that I had worn an extra layer. When I get nervous, I get cold, and it was good to be over-dressed as people...
Every morning for the last four weeks, I have stood on my balcony and taken a single moment, a breath, before I start the day. Like many of you, I find the current state of the world overwhelming, and this moment, this pause, helps clear my mind to find order in the chaos in which we now live. ...
Sarah Marsom is the winner of the 2018 American Express Aspire Award, which recognizes an emerging leader who has made significant achievements in the preservation field. We asked Marsom to share some thoughts about her work—and the field overall. Fostering connections to the past and to...
This post is adapted from remarks at the February 23, 2019, National Trust for Historic Preservation Board of Trustees meeting. Board chairman Timothy Whalen invited me to speak at my last board meeting after more than two decades with the National Trust. Over the past 22 years, I made it a...