With 2021 on the horizon, the repercussions of this past year on the modern sites we love are front and center. On our minds is the ongoing trend of municipalities, states, and the federal government deaccessioning modern buildings, and how that may be accelerated by tightening budgets. The Boston Government Service Center (BGSC) and the Federal Courthouse in Ft. Lauderdale are just two examples.

Our year-long (and counting) involvement in both the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Section 106 process and the BGSC has shown that participation in the public process requires substantial time and resources.

Docomomo US is proud to serve as the voice of our modern community in these drawn-out efforts.

Many of the sites that find themselves threatened will turn fifty this year, including the Chet Holifield Federal Building (Laguna Niguel, CA), McCormick Place (Chicago, IL), and the Weyerhauser campus (Federal Way, WA), all completed in 1971. It is our responsibility to ensure that sites reaching this "historic" milestone are identified and that their significance is documented and protected.

It is also incumbent upon us to recognize the variety of our modern resources, from art to landscapes to interior design, the diversity of the people who helped create them, and for whom these spaces are being preserved. We look forward to continuing this conversation with you in 2021 and beyond.

If you have renewed your membership, participated in our Giving Tuesday efforts or given to our end of year appeal, thank you.

If you have not, please consider a gift of $50, $100, $250 or any amount you are able.

Warm wishes for the New Year.

Sincerely,

Theo Prudon
President
Docomomo US

Liz Waytkus
Executive Director 
Docomomo US