News from World Monuments Fund

55th Anniversary Virtual Gala

On Wednesday, December 2, World Monuments Fund (WMF) celebrated 55 years of safeguarding irreplaceable cultural heritage sites with an incredible virtual journey that took more than 300 guests around the world to some of our most extraordinary projects. In honor of our anniversary, the Empire State Building—WMF's global headquarters—was lit up in our signature blue.

We are thankful for our supporters who joined us behind the scenes for intimate conversations with our conservation experts stationed across eight countries. Over the course of 12 hours, our guests traveled from their homes to some of our incredible projects, from the temples of Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia, the lush Mughal Gardens of Agra in India, to pivotal locations of the civil rights movement in the U.S.

Watch Day: Chivas and Chaityas of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Originally erected in memory of deceased family members, chaityas (shrines) often resemble miniature buildings and can be found across Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley in public spaces. The shrines were included on the 2020 World Monuments Watch to support local efforts to protect them from rapid urbanization and the loss of open space.

On October 3, the Watch Day featuring the chaityas of Kathmandu Valley, welcomed more than 50 young people for site cleaning activities and expert-led tours of the shrines. Strict COVID-19 safety measures ensured visitors’ protection throughout the event and raised awareness about public health during the pandemic.

The House of Byron: Newstead's Dysfunctional Legacy

Join us live from London on December 9 at 1 PM EST (6 PM GMT) to explore Newstead Abbey, one of the most admired aristocratic houses in England at the beginning of the 18th century. The ancestral seat of the Byron family – following the dissolution of the monasteries – would eventually be inherited by Lord Byron, romantic poet, and no stranger to a scandal.

Hosted by WMF Britain Executive Director John Darlington, this event will feature rising star author and historian, Emily Brand, and Partner architect at Purcell, Zoe Skelding.

2022 World Monuments Watch

Nominations are open for the 2022 World Monuments Watch, WMF’s two-year program to discover, spotlight, and take action on behalf of heritage places facing challenges or presenting outstanding opportunities of direct relevance to our global society.

The 2022 Watch cycle seeks to highlight innovative solutions to some of the greatest challenges to cultural heritage today: climate change, underrepresented heritage, and imbalanced tourism.

Do you stand with a heritage place that speaks to these global issues? Join us by nominating a site to the 2022 Watch or helping us spread the word. 

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