2022 in Review

January

When a magnitude-7.5 earthquake hit the town of La Jalca Grande, severely damaging its historic church, World Monuments Fund quickly allocated funds for emergency restoration in response to a request from Peru’s Ministry of Culture. The church is one of the oldest in northeastern Peru and is particularly significant for its incorporation of Indigenous motifs inspired by the Chachapoyas sites of Kuélap, Óllape, and Laguna de los Cóndores.

February

World Monuments Fund announced an ambitious new project to document the Historic Water Bodies of India and restore key examples of traditional water infrastructure to serve urban communities most at risk of water insecurity as climate change alters precipitation patterns. The project is part of a broader strategic push to prioritize projects that mitigate the worst effects of climate change and build climate resilience through heritage preservation.

Conservation was also completed at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) in Peru, a project commissioned by the European Union in Peru to prepare for the bicentennial of Peru’s independence. Work concentrated on the facade, which is notable for its masterful wrought-iron decorative elements.

March

Last Spring, WMF unveiled the 2022 World Monuments Watch, which highlights 25 exceptional heritage sites around the world facing urgent challenges. This year’s Watch focused on addressing four key priorities: climate resilience, inclusive heritage, balanced tourism, and crisis recovery. Selection for the Watch brings global awareness to sites and the challenges they face and can serve as a catalyst for the development of a conservation project later on.

April

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, WMF launched the Ukraine Heritage Response Fund to safeguard sites imperiled by the war and prepare for future conservation. With a seed grant of $500,000 from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the fund has aided diverse efforts across the country.

April also saw our global headquarters move to the iconic Rockefeller Center’s 600 Fifth Avenue. The historic building is the perfect setting for a new chapter in our organization’s story.

May

For WMF’s 2022 Paul Mellon Lecture, professor, philosopher, and WMF trustee Kwame Anthony Appiah spoke about African heritage at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event marked the launch of WMF’s collaboration to create digital resources for the African Art galleries in The Met's new Michael C. Rockefeller Wing—currently closed for renovation—to provide a broader view of the richness of the continent’s artistic and architectural expression and provide context for the wing's collection of sub-Saharan African art.

Shortly after UNESCO inscribed Japanese gold leaf craftsmanship on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, WMF announced a partnership with Tiffany & Co. to train gold leaf artisans in Japan. The three-year traineeship will take place in Kanazawa, a city long known for its gold leaf production. The program is the first of its kind in Japan and will provide students with hands-on experience in traditional workshops.

June

At our first annual Summer Soirée, WMF presented Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Culture and Information Policy, Kateryna Chuyeva, with the 2022 Watch Award for her dedication to safeguarding Ukrainian heritage during the Russian invasion.

The Summer Soiree was hosted by WMF's Junior Board.

July

Bridge to Crafts Careers (B2CC), which since 2015 has been offering hands-on technical training to underrepresented youth, graduated its first cohort at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. The program included training in masonry preservation basics like stone identification, cleaning, and repair. B2CC’s partners include the International Masonry Institute, Jefferson Technical Community College, New Directions Housing Corporation, Brick Layers and Allied Crafts Local 4, and Cave Hill staff.

August

Ahead of project completion, Mexico’s Canal Nacional held a Watch Day celebration featuring recycled plastic structures designed by Norberto Miranda, murals by Carlos Huitzil, and music by singer María Reyna.

September

Spain’s Ministry of Culture and Sport signed an agreement with WMF and Stuart Weitzman’s Fundación de Las Cuevas de Cantabria to undertake high-resolution digital documentation of the Cave of Altamira. The new images will allow technical staff to evaluate the state of the caves and their rock art while minimizing time spent inside them, thus facilitating conservation efforts.

October

Held in person for the first time, the 2022 World Monuments Summit took place at Rockefeller Center in New York City in conjunction with the 2022 Hadrian Gala.. The event featured the award-winning documentary photographer and president of Magnum Foundation Susan Meiselas; Sumayya Vally, Founder and Principal of Counterspace Studio and recent addition to the Board of Directors of World Monuments Fund Britain; Suzanne Deal Booth, Founder and President of the Friends of Heritage Preservation; internationally renowned designer Christian Louboutin; archaeologist Hourig Sourouzian; and architect and designer Thomas Heatherwick.

The 33rd annual Hadrian Gala honored Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, Suzanne Deal Booth, and Christian Louboutin for their outstanding commitment to heritage conservation. The Gala raised more than $1.4 million in general operating support for WMF.

November

The latest stage of capital works was completed at Moseley Road Baths, Birmingham, UK. With restoration of the facade, Manager’s Flat, and Boardroom now done, greater space will be available for future use by community members.

The Chivas and Chaityas of the Kathmandu Valley project was recognized at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The project received the Award of Merit for its ability to use conservation to foster community and its pairing of scientific documentation with the revival of religious practices.

December

As temperatures dropped and winter approached, WMF announced a partnership with Cultural Emergency Response with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to winterize key Ukrainian heritage sites that had been damaged by the war. The intervention will protect vulnerable structures from further damage from precipitation until further stabilization and restoration can take place.