NAMING THE LOST Memorials and City Lore, with a grant from the Mellon Foundation, present a community public art memorial at The Green-Wood Cemetery. Created with help from New York City community partners, the memorial will be on view from May 8–June 8, 2025 along the fence at Green-Wood’s Main Entrance at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn. The public is invited to a memorial activation and dedication ceremony on Wednesday, May 8th, 6-8pm at Green-Wood (scroll down for details).

From May 2020–June 2021, NAMING THE LOST Memorials (NTLM), a small team of volunteer artists, activists, and folklorists, curated memorial sites in New York City to name and remember victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. The memorials consisted of tens of thousands of nameplates with personalized drawings and photos, created by the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones to the virus. Green-Wood is proud to have served as a site for these memorials, in partnership with NTLM, supported by a three-year grant of the Mellon Foundation grant, set to conclude this year.

This year, the memorial will be displayed along the Cemetery’s historic wrought-iron fence near the Main Entrance. Packed tightly from top to bottom on the fence, it will stretch horizontally for 200 feet. The memorial will be on view from May 8–June 8, 2025 to honor the over 1.2 million people in the United States, including more than 83,000 here in New York City according to the CDC, who have lost their lives to COVID-19. During this time, the public is encouraged to create and add their own nameplates to the memorial. There will be dedicated space on the memorial for public participation.

Activation Ceremony

Wednesday, May 8th, 6:00-8:00pm  

We ask the public to join us for the dedication and activation of the memorial in front of Green-Wood’s Historic Chapel. The ceremony will bring together the NTLM team and community partners for an evening that will include a procession, traditional singers, and a participatory ritual of remembrance. We welcome all to join us in commemorating those who died of COVID-19 and remembering them together. 

The activation ceremony will be livestreamed on City Lore’s youtube channel. 

For access needs and covid harm reduction information, visit namingthelost.com/memorials.

PLANNING TEAM
Juan Aguirre, director of Mano a Mano
Sandra A. M. Bell, artist and producer
Elena Martínez, folklorist and producer
Megan Paradis Hanley, theater artist and educator
Eva Pedriglieri, City Lore staff
Seth Schonburg, City Lore archivist
Jenny Romaine, artist, organizer, and educator
Steve Zeitlin, City Lore co-directors