Interviews

Embrace Your Surroundings: Introducing Our Building Hugger-in-Chief, Lindsay Rowinski

Posted on: May 7th, 2013 by Julia Rocchi

Lindsay Rowinski's puppeteered arms extend around Columbus Fountain in Washington, D.C.

Preservationists have long held the moniker "building hugger" close to their place-saving hearts, considering it a term of endearment for the important work they do in protecting the past and enriching the future. Now, we at the National Trust are making the term official with our new "Hugger-in-Chief," artist and place-lover Lindsay Rowinski.

Lindsay embraces places -- literally. She has created long red puppeteered arms capable of extending around buildings and structures with the help of a few volunteers and a lot of creative moxie. Her goal: inspire people to look anew at their surroundings and make what they see an integral part of their daily experience.... Read More →

Julia Rocchi

Julia Rocchi is the managing editor for the National Trust. By day she wrangles content; by night (and weekends), she shops local, travels to story-rich places, and walks around looking up at buildings.

More Posts (53)

[Slideshow] Global Tree Project: A Conversation with Artist Shinji Turner-Yamamoto

Posted on: May 3rd, 2013 by Lauren Walser No Comments

When Osaka-born artist Shinji Turner-Yamamoto stepped into the abandoned 1895 Holy Cross Church in Cincinnati, he got goose bumps. He knew that it was there, among the crumbling plaster and peeling paint, that he would create his next art installation.

“Hanging Garden,” as seen in the slideshow below, is one of 11 site-specific art installations that make up Turner-Yamamoto’s Global Tree Project. Other installations have been created at the Sutra Hall of the 8th-century Kiyomizu Temple, a garden in New Delhi, the Mongolian Gobi Desert, and a ruined folly on a cliff overlooking the Celtic Sea.

While he seeks to forge connections between his viewers and the natural world, in the case of “Hanging Garden,” he also created a striking connection with a historic building. We talked with Turner-Yamamoto, who now splits his time between Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., to find out why he was drawn to the church, what he hopes to inspire in viewers, and why he considers it important to save historic places.

(Please note that no trees were harmed or killed in the installation of this work.)... Read More →

Lauren Walser

Lauren Walser is an assistant editor at Preservation magazine. She enjoys writing and thinking about history, art, architecture, and public space.

More Posts (26)

[Interview] Talking with Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the LA Conservancy

Posted on: April 22nd, 2013 by Emily Potter No Comments

Linda Dishman

A preservationist from the beginning, Linda Dishman is leading the local preservation movement in Los Angeles, California as Executive Director of the LA Conservancy. She's seen a lot in her 20 years at the Conservancy, and in this interview, she reflects on past wins, losses, and what they've meant to the organization.... Read More →

Emily Potter is a copywriter at the National Trust. She enjoys writing about places of all kinds, the stories that make them special, and the people who love them enough to save them.

More Posts (34)

[Interview] Gloria Estefan: Singer, Entrepreneur … and Local Preservationist

Posted on: April 1st, 2013 by Gwendolyn Purdom 1 Comment

Gloria Estefan. Credit: Gio Alma
Singer and businesswoman Gloria Estefan

For our spring issue of Preservation, I spoke with Grammy-winning singer and businesswoman Gloria Estefan. The new National Trust for Historic Preservation board member had so much to say about her love for preserving historic places, we weren’t able to fit it all on one page in the magazine, so we’ve included an expanded version of our interview here. Enjoy!

You joined the National Trust’s Board of Trustees in October. Why is historic preservation something that you feel passionate about?

There are many reasons. I came to the U.S. when I was 18 months old and we, the Cuban community, in essence, have tried to transplant our culture here in Miami, everyone thought originally that we would be going back. At least our parents did. And as we grew and became part of the city, it was important for Emilio [her husband] and I both, to be a part of its growth in the business community and culturally as well. So through our music and our restaurants that we do we’ve tried to extend our Cuban culture that way and tried to preserve it.... Read More →

Gwendolyn Purdom

Gwendolyn Purdom is an associate editor at Preservation magazine. A Chicago native, Gwendolyn is passionate about the people and stories behind historic places – the quirkier the better.

More Posts (22)

[Slideshow] Exploring “Iconic” Places with Photographer Brian Vanden Brink

Posted on: March 29th, 2013 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 1 Comment

ICONIC Book Jacket/Cover, 2012.

Brian Vanden Brink has been photographing unforgettable historic places since the 1970s, when he moved to the coast of Maine and began shooting for architects and magazines. Since then, he has cemented a reputation as one of the nation’s foremost architectural photographers.

“The images in Iconic, my sixth book, cover more than 35 years of this work -- my whole photographic life,” he says. “It’s almost like a personal travel journal documenting experiences with buildings I feel are important ... Whether it’s because of the way these structures sit in the landscape -- or what they represent culturally or socially -- I felt they had to be brought together for readers to see and appreciate.”

James H. Schwartz, the National Trust’s vice president for editorial and creative strategy, recently spoke with Brian to learn more about his work and inspirations.... Read More →