Village Preservation’s installation honors the women who have helped shape our neighborhoods and our nation.

November 12, 2026 – March 31, 2027

This month, Village Preservation will unveil WE STAND, a public art installation in Washington Square Park honoring the women of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo whose lives, ideas, and accomplishments have shaped the nation and the world.

Celebrating Abigail Adams, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martha Graham, Lorraine Hansberry, Marsha P. Johnson, Patti Smith, Sonia Sotomayor, Rachel Maddow, and many more, the installation invites visitors to explore the stories of these women visionaries whose contributions and legacies have helped define our shared history and continue to influence the world we live in today. WE STAND will be on view beginning November 12, and will culminate during Women’s History Month in March 2027. Ribbon cutting is on November 12, at 3:30 PM. All are welcome.

As the United States closes out its 250th anniversary year, WE STAND offers a timely and powerful reminder that women have always been central to the making of our nation, even when their achievements have gone unrecognized. Their voices, visions, and convictions have forged the country’s history, expanded its boundaries, and transformed its future. The installation celebrates women whose influence extends across generations and disciplines, from activism and literature to politics, the arts, and social justice.

WE STAND will transform a section of Washington Square Park into an outdoor gallery and place of reflection. The centerpiece is a grand 12-ft.-high structure, inspired by the hope, enlightenment, and freedom that the Washington Arch represents. This “We Follow in Her Footsteps” Women’s Arch, accompanied by portraits and stories presented on the park’s pathways, invites visitors to take part in the rich history of these Village changemakers and to carry their stories forward.

The women featured in WE STAND represent just some of the many whose contributions deserve to be recognized, celebrated, and remembered. Those honored span generations and fields of achievement. Some are historical figures whose ideas and accomplishments have left a lasting mark on our culture and society; others are women of our time whose vision, leadership, and work continue to influence the world around us. (View the full list of honorees here.) 

“At its heart, WE STAND is a celebration of women in all their diversity, and of the extraordinary ways they have shaped our history, transformed our culture, challenged conventions, and changed the world,” said co-curators Leslie Mason and Lannyl Stephens. “It honors not only the remarkable achievements of individual women, but also the enduring power of women’s voices, ideas, creativity, and courage to impact the world we share and inspire generations to come.”

Andrew Berman, Executive Director of Village Preservation added, ”As we stand at a critical pivot point in our country’s history, it is especially important to acknowledge the women whose work, leadership, and courage have helped shape who we are, and transformed our society for the better.”

Washington Square Park is a fitting setting for WE STAND. For generations, the park has served as a gathering place for artists, activists, writers, students, and people seeking to express new ideas and challenge established conventions. By placing women’s stories in this shared civic space, which continues to serve as a place of protest, celebration, and debate, the installation connects the history of the neighborhood with a broader national conversation about recognition, representation, and the meaning of equality.

WE STAND builds on Village Preservation’s commitment to not only protect the historic buildings and streetscapes of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and NoHo, but also to preserve the cultural heritage and inspiring stories that give these neighborhoods their distinctive character, especially those who are too often overlooked in the historical record. The project draws inspiration from the organization’s 2022 Village Voices: A Monument to Choice, which used public art to bring attention to urgent questions of women’s rights and autonomy.  

Through WE STAND, Village Preservation invites the public to celebrate women’s achievements, reflect on histories that are too often unheralded, and consider how we can ensure that the next generation inherits a fuller and more inclusive understanding of the past.

WE STAND is curated by Leslie Mason and Lannyl Stephens. Creative Director Penny Hardy (PS New York), and builder Lauren Ciarpella  of MADE Design/Build, who created the arch. The project is presented in partnership with NYC Parks, Art in Parks, and Washington Square Park Conservancy. 

WE STAND will include a compelling variety of programs throughout the exhibit.