The Interpreter’s Quarry: A guide to the Tidal Basin’s memorials

Getting stones to speak is no easy task but this walking tour will attempt to do just that. Washington DC is chock-full of monuments that have a lot to say. Their stories are told through design choices, and symbolism is their primary language. As we’re walking through these commemorative spaces, we’re being bombarded with a whole lot of intended messaging. This can lead to a lot of questions, such as… • Who decides on the points being made by these memorials? • How do we know what we’re supposed to be hearing? • What do the monument makers want us to know and feel? • Are we wrong if we don’t get it? • Isn’t art supposed to be subjective? The Tidal Basin Memorials span the entirety of America’s timeline, from its foundational inspirations through to its active missions. I’ll lead you through six memorials dotted around the Tidal Basin. Along with the popular Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Memorials, I’ll also show you a few lesser-known but equally significant monuments like the George Mason, the Japanese Lantern and the DC War Memorials. Along the way, you’ll learn how the Potomac River both disrupted and molded this city’s landscape. During this tour I’ll be focusing on the intentions of the memorials because their designers definitely had goals in that regard. On top of that I’m also going to add yet another layer of thought, one that has to do with the relationship between art makers and art viewers. Because whenever symbolism is involved, so is interpretation. While the artists and architects are literally cutting marble and granite, those of us exploring the spaces are carving purpose out of their works…we are mining for meaning. And this makes the grounds we’ll be walking a quarry for interpreters. Within this solid rock are some pretty fluid concepts. This tour will support you through the process of excavating the original design ideas and shaping your own interpretations. Join me as we dig deep into the history that these memorials commemorate, and have fun discovering some fascinating stories that influence what we see today. PLEASE NOTE: According to the National Park Service, access to the memorials and the trail around the Tidal Basin will remain open during the course of the 2024-2027 restoration project. The NPS is undertaking this project to rehabilitate the seawalls and pathways that encircle the Tidal Basin. Throughout the duration of the work, temporary pedestrian detours will be constructed in some areas. This restoration is projected for completion in 2027.

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