LexSeeHer Announces Monument Artist

The town of Lexington is one step closer to gaining a monument honoring women’s contributions throughout history. LexSeeHer, the group seeking to establish the monument, announced their selection of renowned artist Meredith Bergmann for the project.

“We were inspired by the talented artists who submitted proposals in response to our Call for Artists,” said LexSeeHer Co-Chair Jessie Steigerwald. “Meredith Bergmann distinguished herself by proposing an innovative, inclusive concept that beautifully conveys the many interconnected ways Lexington women have advanced liberty.”

In accepting LexSeeHer’s commission, Meredith Bergmann said “I’m thrilled— it’s such an honor to have been selected to work with the remarkable women of LexSeeHer on this celebration of the history of the bold women of Lexington. I am grateful that LexSeeHer chose my design, and I look forward to working with the community.”

According to her website, “For over 40 years, Meredith Bergmann has been making sculpture that deals with complex themes in an accessible, beautiful, and provocative way. Working within the tradition of narrative sculpture, she draws on her love of the history of art, literature, and mythology to make the past speak to the present.”

“Meredith’s commitment to social justice and historical redress through sensitively conceived public art is exactly what we are looking for,” commented LexSeeHer Co-Chair Betty Gau. “We are thrilled to work with her on this exciting project for Lexington and women everywhere.”

Why a monument? “As the ‘Birthplace of American Liberty’, Lexington offers a wealth of history about men’s courageous acts,” observed LexSeeHer member Michelle Tran. “A monument to Lexington women could help us understand the many forms of liberty that have enriched our history for more than 300 years.”

LexSeeHer envisions an inclusive monument that recognizes that “liberty” means different things to different people: Freedom from British tyranny, enslavement, and gender norms, for example. And freedom to live our authentic lives and pursue our passions.

“Our monument will showcase real historical women, along with symbols and figures that are meaningful to our expanding concept of liberty,” explained LexSeeHer member Judy Zola. “The monument covers our history from the years just preceding the Battle of Lexington to 2020.”

What will it look like? According to Meredith Bergmann, her concept for the monument is “a bronze gateway celebrating the activism of the women in Lexington, MA, who have struggled, since before the American Revolution, to improve our less-than-perfect union.”

The gateway will include two bas relief panels with more than two dozen female figures from Lexington’s history, with a central doorway wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or a small group of people for a photo. Among the women to be featured are:

• Margaret Tulip, a woman of Black and Indigenous heritage who courageously sought and won her freedom from enslavement through the courts in the late 1700s.
• Anna Harrington, a white woman who hosted the 1769 Spinning Protest in the town center as an economic and political protest against taxation by the British.

The gateway will feature a central arch in the form of half a spinning wheel. The structure will be placed on a circular granite paver that also resembles a spinning wheel, with granite benches for visitors. See a video by Meredith Bergmann on LexSeeHer’s website at https://www.lexseeher.com.

LexSeeHer advisor and public school educator Celeste Freeman summed up her reaction to Meredith Bergmann’s concept this way: “‘And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’ma compel him to include women in the sequel!’ This musical line from Lin Manuel’s Hamilton has been reverberating in my mind when I think of how gates and gatekeepers are often used to keep people out both physically from spaces as well as the pages of what we think of as of known history. One of the exciting aspects of this project is that this gate is actually an invitation—an opening to everyone to visually see a more expansive view of what we think of as settled history. When I think of the role of generations of unsung women like my grandmothers who serve as both guardians and gatekeepers of history, I can’t think of a more meaningful and symbolic way to capture how our founding mothers have shaped our nation. I see it as a portal to the past, present, and future.”

How were women selected for inclusion in the monument? LexSeeHer conducted a lengthy, inclusive process to select women for inclusion in the monument. That included:

• A five-month open nomination period for community members.
• Outreach to community leaders, including cultural and civic groups and partners in the Lexington Community Coalition.
• Review of women presented in Lexington Historical Society’s “Something Must Be Done Exhibit: BOLD Women of Lexington”, which was the product of extensive research.
• Additional research by LexSeeHer’s Research Team.
• Input from LexSeeHer’s 17-member Advisory Board, composed of people with diverse perspectives, including historians, artists, educators, and others.

Historian Mary Keenan, Board member of Lexington Historical Society and author of In Haste, Julia, expressed enthusiasm for how the selected women will be portrayed in the monumentt: “Renowned sculptor Meredith Bergmann has designed a bas relief sculpture highlighting [Lexinton women’s] roles – suing for justice, protesting British taxation, lending hand and heart to abolition and suffrage, and pursuing a role in our democracy… These women claim a place in Town history with this approachable monument which will both teach and delight, honoring the past while inspiring current and future generations.”

What will happen next? Members of the public are invited to meet the artist on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 7pm. People can register for the Zoom event at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcOGhpjIvGdarHWeFfHyXEdM-MaCLcbRF.
Over the next several weeks, Meredith Bergmann will refine her preliminary sketch of the monument. LexSeeHer will offer mechanisms for community input and present the concept to municipal boards and committees. This will include the proposed location.

“LexSeeHer proposes to site the monument near the Liberty Ride stop, Buckman Tavern, and the Visitors Center lawn,” said LexSeeHer member Humera Asif. “This site offers good visibility while connecting the women portrayed to the historical spots where they made history.”

Once LexSeeHer reaches agreement on monument details and siting, Meredith Bergmann will begin the sculpting process. “That’s a fascinating process in and of itself,” exclaimed LexSeeHer member Kamala Raj. “I can’t wait to witness every step in bringing the monument to life.”

LexSeeHer anticipates unveiling the monument in 2023. For more information, visit https://www.lexseeher.com.