June Newsletter: We are still pioneers

It’s this pioneering spirit that unites all of us in the development community. We go in by ourselves, without the protection of the armed forces behind us. We are chosen for our grit, our adaptability, for our courage to go farther than we have ever gone before, and to find common ground with the people we find there. We share a gift of true understanding that all people are connected, and that our success depends on each other.

It’s this same perspective that has driven the artistic vision of Peace Corps Park, which we are happy to say has taken another step forward with approval of the innovative cane-detection feature conceived by our stellar design team. Described in detail below, it’s the final element of the Park’s design, further reinforcing the theme of the interconnectedness of all people, and we are thrilled with how seamlessly it integrates into the overall design.

This month, we also feature an inspiring message from a former Peace Corps director, underscoring the common goals that all of us in the Peace Corps community share, and the importance of solidarity in telling our story.

This is the reason we are building Peace Corps Park on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and why we ask everyone in our community to stand up and stand with us: Because it will be not only a national landmark but a global educational resource to help us tell our unique story and inspire future generations.

We are still pioneers, and the work we do has always come down to the motivation that lives in all of us as individuals. Each one of us carries the weight of telling this part of America’s story. So on this anniversary of the moment when JFK’s vision became a reality, we ask you to think about what you can contribute to this lasting symbol of our values.

Yours in service,



Glenn A. Blumhorst
Chief Advancement Officer
Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation

President and CEO, National Peace Corps Association (2013-22)
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Guatemala (1988-91)

GBlumhorst@PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org

As an artistic work and public space, Peace Corps Park’s design has to meet practical requirements as well as artistic ones – we’ve talked about this in previous design spotlights on the approach to the textured elements of the world map at the center of the Park (remember the “coefficient of friction”?), and today we share the story behind a small but meaningful refinement of the design to accommodate accessibility requirements. 

Whenever a part of a commemorative work like ours is raised or projecting out from its base, there must be a physical reflection of it on the ground below to ensure that vision-impaired visitors using a cane can navigate the space safely. In the case of Peace Corps Park, that affects the elevated parts of the Park’s three granite benches – the hands and fingers – that are raised up off the ground.

The most common way to meet the requirement is to include a raised curb, at least four inches tall, which the Peace Corps Park design team considered in its initial renderings but was never fully satisfied with. They came up with another solution that involved a small metal railing as a more visually appealing way to signal the benches’ footprint, but again found the design lacking.

“We felt it was a trip hazard, and something quite alien to the overall design of the Park,” said our lead designer Larry Kirkland, and so it was back to the drawing board.

This time, Kirkland and team enlisted the help of an expert in meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), who explained the less-obvious shortcoming of that design being that it’s clearly an element put there specifically for the visually impaired, rather than something that accomplishes the goal but with a fully integrated design that looks like it belongs there naturally. “That really lit up a lightbulb for us,” Kirkland said.

Collaborating with the team at Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, they devised a solution that is elegant in its simplicity and powerful in its symbolism: A series of ripples in the granite pavers of the world map at the center of the Park, designed to look like they were caused by the benches themselves hitting the surface of the stones representing the world’s oceans.

“It adds a layer of meaning to the design, in that it implies that those ripples will continue to expand and intersect, which is what the Peace Corps is all about: The intersection of cultures and peoples around the world,” Kirkland said.

With the largest of the ripples meeting the four-inch height required for accessibility, this design was a perfect solution, with stakeholders at the National Park Service and U.S. Commission of Fine Arts giving their enthusiastic approval to integrate this feature into Peace Corps Park’s final design.

While it took numerous iterations, this one element serves as an excellent example of the outsize impact that such small details can have on the overall experience of the Park, and is a testament to our design team’s tireless efforts to ensure that all elements work together to create this powerful and lasting symbol. For Larry Kirkland, that has been the goal from the beginning.



“With this solution, there is now no element in the entire park that isn’t part of the meaning and the message. For me as an artist, that’s really really satisfying,” he said.

Remembering a Peace Corps legend

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of the founders of the Peace Corps, journalist Bill Moyers, who died today in New York. He was 91, and is survived by his wife, three children, six grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.

Moyers was a foundational force in the creation of the Peace Corps, having been a close aide to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson when President Kennedy proposed the idea for the program in 1961. He was soon appointed the agency’s first Associate Director for Public Affairs and moved on to serve as Deputy Director in 1962, working directly with Sargent Shriver to design the organizational structure and operations for the new initiative.

He was also closely involved with the planning of Peace Corps Park, and contributed valuable advice in a brainstorming and strategy session convened in 2014 by the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation that included notable historians and journalists like Bill Josephson and David Brinkley.

Read more about Bill and his legacy on Peace Corps Worldwide.

F. Chapman Taylor joins Advisory Board

The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation’s Advisory Board serves as a champion for Peace Corps Park and a valuable source of strategic insight. Its members provide their professional expertise, diverse knowledge of community perspectives, connections to local, national, and international resources and many other forms of assistance to further our mission. This month, we are honored to welcome F. Chapman Taylor (Samoa 1982-84) to our team. See the full list of Advisory Board members on our website.

Solidarity in the Peace Corps community

Washington, D.C.: The Cosmos Club

Last week, members of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation Board of Directors and Advisory Board convened at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. to present the vision for Peace Corps Park to existing and prospective donors. It was a successful and elegant event that has already accelerated our fundraising campaign, bringing together distinguished guests to reinforce the importance of this project.

The inspirational program included speeches and stories from former Peace Corps Directors Aaron Williams and Carrie Hessler-Radelet, PCCF President Tony Barclay, and our newest Advisory Board member, Chapman Taylor. Most of our guests stayed well after the program ended to share stories and discuss our strategic approach, and shared feedback on what a positive event it was.

And we want to do more such events in your city! If you or your group are interested in learning the details of our plans for Peace Corps Park and bringing VIP guests together to support the effort, Glenn is happy to come to you. Just reply to this email and let Glenn know if you’d like to arrange a meetup, and chances are he’s already planning a visit to a city near you! Up next:

July 23-25  Oshkosh, WI: Air Adventure
July 26       Michigan Upper Peninsula
July 27       Traverse City, MI
July 28       Chicago, IL

Aug. 31       Arlington, VA: NoVa Summer Potluck

Sept. 24-27  Santa Fe, NM

Oct. 7         New York City: Peace Corps Park reception

Mark you calendar: Wine, chiles, and Peace Corps in Santa Fe

Join fellow Peace Corps community members in Santa Fe, NM for the Wine and Chile Festival, from September 24-27! This vibrant celebration of New Mexico's culinary and cultural traditions offers the perfect opportunity to reconnect with fellow returned volunteers, staff, and friends while exploring the artistic heart of the Southwest. On Thursday, September 25, we're honored that Peace Corps friend, Sandra Zane, will host a special reception at Zane Bennett Contemporary Art in the historic Railyard Arts District, where you'll experience exceptional modern and contemporary masterworks on paper in an intimate gallery setting. Located at 435 S. Guadalupe Street alongside the innovative form & concept art space, this reception will blend Peace Corps fellowship with Santa Fe's renowned arts scene, creating an unforgettable evening of community, culture, and connection amidst the festival's festivities.

Stay tuned for more information on how to register for the event.

Connect with us on social media

Whether or not you’ve been able to support the project with a donation, an easy way to amplify your impact is to give us a boost on social media. Follow us and re-share our posts to help raise awareness in your network!

@PeaceCorpsPark on Instagram | @PeaceCorpsPark on Facebook | @PeaceCorpsPark on LinkedIn

PeaceCorpsCommemorative.org

PEACE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE FOUNDATION
Compassion   Generosity   Perseverance

Please note our new preferred mailing address:
5636 Connecticut Avenue, NW Ste 42143
Washington, DC 20015

The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation is the trade name of the Peace Corps Foundation,
a District of Columbia 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
EIN: 01-0554700