Placemaking

Remembering Pueblo Installation

Remembering is an interactive, interfaith memorial dedicated to honoring diversity, ancestral memory, and cultural healing. Rooted in Pueblo’s complex history as a historical border town, the memorial provides a space for reflection, remembrance, and healing, addressing a collective need for ancestral connection in a community shaped by profound historical events.

Remembering acknowledges those who have been lost, particularly the forgotten lives of Indigenous peoples, migrant workers, and marginalized communities who contributed to Pueblo’s growth but remain unrecognized in historical memory. The installation invites visitors to engage in a dialogue between past, present, and future, fostering a deeper connection to their heritage and the land.

At the heart of the memorial is the Sky Bed, a sculptural centerpiece crafted from Colorado Yule Marble. Surrounded by abstract steel elements symbolizing the four directions, it encourages visitors to recline, gaze at the sky, and embrace the natural elements of earth, air, fire, water, and space. The memorial integrates Pueblo’s local ecology, symbolized by migrating swallows—messengers of hope and renewal.

Beyond the physical installation, Remembering is a catalyst for community engagement through workshops, historical signage, and cultural events, including the Say Their Names, Fly with the Swallows festival. Supported by a diverse advisory council, the project fosters intergenerational storytelling and ancestral healing.

Through art, history, and community participation, Remembering transforms memory into a powerful tool for unity, resilience, and renewal, ensuring that the past is honored and the future is built on a foundation of understanding and compassion.