2008
The Cultural Landscape Foundation Honors Ten Individuals Making a Difference on the Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary in 2008.
In 2008, on the tenth anniversary of our founding, TCLF would like to recognize others who share our vision of "stewardship through education." Throughout the year, under the celebratory umbrella of TEN 4 TEN, TCLF will bestow Stewardship Excellence Awards on ten individuals across the nation and, as such, will place a spotlight on those stewardship stories that have the power to educate and inspire future generations of cultural landscape stewards.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) was founded in 1998 because our collective knowledge and understanding of the American landscape has so declined as to be absent not only from educational curricula, but from the hearts and minds of too many. While individual study programs exist—emphasizing the environment, art, culture, and history, a comprehensive or holistic focus on the larger cultural landscape that fosters a stewardship ethic does not. Considering this dilemma in the context of new challenges and opportunities that have emerged over the past four decades since the birth of the environmental movement and two decades into declining arts education suggest that a fresh approach is required—one that interprets and values an expanded land ethic, balancing nature, scenery, and culture. TCLF aims to reunite art and the environment, bridging the divide of often segmented special interest groups. TCLF’s organizational aspiration is to instill a reverential attitude towards representative examples of American landscapes, from the most sophisticated to the most humble and, in the process, nurture a nature-culture stewardship ethic.
Award Recipients
Honorees will be announced throughout the year.
June 12 | Chicago, IL
Julia S. Bachrach
Julia Bachrach has been selected to receive this award in honor of her years at the Chicago Park District, from maintaining the archives to advocacy for park preservation and securing National Register and National Historic Landmark status for many worthy parks. The award is also given in honor of her contributions to landscape architectural history through her books and articles, exhibitions, lectures, interviews, and tours all of which demonstrate her continuing dedication to educating Chicagoans about their shared landscape heritage.
Cindy Mitchell
Cindy Mitchell has been selected to receive this award in honor of her dedication to the parks and preservation of the cultural landscapes of Chicago. This includes her significant involvement in park issues, from her work as a co-founder of Friends of the Parks through the Mayor’s Landscape Advisory Council and now as Commissioner to the Chicago Park District in addition to her work at the Chicago Cultural Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, and the Women’s Board of the Art Institute.
May 29 | Pittsburgh, PA
Lindsay Bond Totten
Lindsay Bond Totten has been selected to receive this award in honor of her dedication to the advancement of the preservation and restoration of Pittsburgh’s cultural landscapes over the past three decades. Most recently, her leadership efforts as President of the Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania are culminating in the establishment of the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania. This tremendous undertaking will strengthen the region’s horticultural resources and guarantee the public greater access to educational opportunities surrounding Western Pennsylvania’s landscapes. In addition to her work with the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania, Ms. Totten is a Registered Horticultural Therapist and serves on advisory boards at Robert Morris University and the Community College of Allegheny County.
March 27 | Charleston, SC
Honorable Joseph P. Riley
For more than thirty years, Mayor Riley has worked to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Charleston- beginning with stabilizing the central business district, re-connecting to the waterfront landscape, and, more recently, working to achieve a balance between urban and rural lands. His efforts towards educating city staff, the public, the Mayor’s Institute, and many others and challenging them to find creative ways to retain cultural landscapes of Charleston and beyond are recognized with this award.
Patti McGee
Patti McGee’s multiple contributions in the fields of landscape and garden history in Charleston and the South, specifically her dedicated work as a board member of such organizations as the Garden Conservancy, Southern Garden History Society, and the Charleston Horticultural Society, raised the level of awareness and set a high standard for practice in the region. In particular, her efforts at her own home grounds showed her commitment to a solid research foundation (in this case, including landscape archaeology) to insure that defensible design and management decisions could be made, thus safeguarding authentic landscape features. During a time when historic gardens meant boxwoods and azaleas to many, her work at her own home grounds; contributions to local, regional, and national organizations; and, most recently, with the Elizabeth Lawrence garden in Charlotte are an inspiration to friends and colleagues locally and nationally.