Peter McCourt, former Director of Planning and Design at Battery Park City Authority, Writes in Support of "Greenwood Pond: Double Site"

On January 27, 2024, Peter McCourt wrote the following letter to the Des Moines Art Center (DMAC) Director Kelly Baum concerning plans to demolish Greenwood Pond: Double Site, a site-specific installation by the internationally acclaimed leader of the land art movement, Mary Miss, commissioned for the Art Center’s permanent collection. The work, which opened in 1996, is in a diminished condition with some sections fenced off, suggesting the DMAC has not fulfilled its contractual obligation to “reasonably protect and maintain” the work. The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is calling for the DMAC to reverse it demolition decision and, instead, to engage in meaningful consultations with the artist and others to find a solution that restores the artwork and develops a long-term, ongoing maintenance plan. 

Dear Ms. Baum,     

I am writing to strongly urge the Des Moines Art Center to honor its legal obligation to properly steward Greenwood Pond: Double Site, the significant artwork by the acclaimed land art pioneer, Mary Miss.     

I am the former Director of Planning and Design at Battery Park City Authority. Battery Park City is a planned community in lower Manhattan; the Authority which developed the property commissioned and maintains Mary Miss's South Cove.  It is devastating to learn that you and your museum plan to demolish her major artwork in your collection. Rather than proceeding with the planned demolition, I would encourage consultation with the artist to explore ways to insure the future of this important artwork.     

Sincerely,     

Peter McCourt RA  

205 West 89th Street, #8s  

New York, NY  10025

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