The LGBT Purge Fund is thrilled to announce that “Thunderhead” has been selected as the winning proposal for the LGBTQ2+ National Monument. The design was conceived by the Winnipeg-based team led by Liz Wreford, Peter Sampson and Taylor LaRocque of Public City, with artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, and Albert McLeod, Indigenous and Two-Spirited People subject-matter expert and advisor.
The design draws on the symbolism of a thunderhead cloud, which embodies the strength, activism and hope of LGBTQ2+ communities. It will be a lasting testimony to the courage and humanity of those who were harmed by the LGBT Purge, homophobic and transphobic laws and norms, and Canada’s colonial history.
Elements of the design include a sculpture that creates the imprint of a thunderhead cloud in mirrored tile, a pathway through a landscaped park that traces the history of LGBTQ2+ people in Canada and a healing circle ringed with stones hand-picked by Two-Spirit Elders.
The LGBT Purge Fund believes in this powerful and creative design and knows this concept will create an extraordinarily special place for the LGBTQ2+ community and all those who visit it. We are honoured and thrilled to work with the team and support their work as they develop this monument.
This feeling is mutual. In the official Canadian Heritage press release, team lead Liz Wreford writes:
“We are both proud and honoured to be chosen to create this monument to the resiliency of the LGBTQ2+ community. We look forward to continuing to work with our amazing team and community stakeholders in the design of the disco-ball thunderhead. This monument will be a symbol of celebration and a space for reflection, healing, activism and performance for generations to come.”
—Liz Wreford, Principal Landscape Architect at Public City
You can read the press release in its entirety here.
The winning design was selected by a jury that evaluated five striking finalist designs — each which responded to the Monument’s Vision in their own unique way. As part of their deliberations, the jury considered the results of an online survey open to the LGBTQ2+ community and the public, as well as feedback received from the Monument’s Indigenous Circle participants and the Monument Advisory Committee, which includes LGBT Purge survivors and other LGBTQ2+ community members.
We would like to thank all of the finalist teams for their thoughtful proposals, passion, and creativity.
And to the jury members, rightsholders, Monument Advisory Committee members, Indigenous Circle, visioning process participants, survey respondents, friends of the LGBT Purge Fund and others, sincere thanks to you all for your vital contributions to this historic process.
