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A bronze sculpture will be created out of melted-down Robert E. Lee sculpture

WBUR
Published September 24, 2026 at 11:07 AM CDT
On the tree’s interior of "Rooted" design by MASS in partnership by sculptor Dana King, handprints of community members honor the project’s collaborative effort and collective realization. (Courtesy of MASS)
Courtesy of MASS
On the tree’s interior of "Rooted" design by MASS in partnership by sculptor Dana King, handprints of community members honor the project’s collaborative effort and collective realization. (Courtesy of MASS)

When the towering statue of Robert E. Lee on horseback was removed from a park in Charlottesville, Virginia, and melted down, it opened up an opportunity for a new monument in that space made with the melted bronze.

The Charlottesville organization Swords into Plowshares selected a proposal by artist Dana King in collaboration with the firm Model of Architecture Serving Society, or MASS, to create “Rooted,” a towering bronze baobab tree.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with King and Jha D. Amazi of MASS about the project and about reimagining how monuments and memorials are built.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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