The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation today announced Justin Garrett Moore as the inaugural program officer for its new Humanities in Place program area. He will join the Foundation on December 16, 2020.

According to the Foundation, the Humanities in Place program "seeks to bring a variety of histories and voices into public, media, museum, and memorial spaces, widening the range of complex public storytelling." Moore will lead the effort, also partnering with the Foundation's president to shape and lead the Foundation's Monuments Project, which is a five year, $250 million commitment to reshape the US's commemorative landscape.

"Justin’s design and planning work is generous, creative, and geared toward impact.  His work has resulted in truly transformative public spaces," said Mellon Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander in a statement. "He is an innovative, collaborative designer and educator who prioritizes the power of public design to help solve major challenges. I look forward to working with him as we move forward to broaden our commemorative and cultural landscapes and public storytelling."

Currently, Moore serves as Executive Director of the City of New York Public Design Commission, where he has been since 2016. Before the Public Design Commission, Moore served as Senior Urban Designer for the New York City Department of City Planning for more than a decade. He received degrees in architecture and urban design from Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where is now an adjunct professor. Moore has also taught at Yale, Tuskegee, and Morgan State University.

"From public spaces and art to innovative institutions and initiatives, places have the power to bring people together and promote greater understanding and inclusion," said Justin Garrett Moore in a statement. "The Humanities in Place program creates an opportunity to amplify long-marginalized voices and bring new resources to diverse environments. By grounding this work in the Foundation’s focus on social justice and by embracing complexity and difference in communities, I look forward to engaging the people, partnerships, and ideas needed to transform and care for our places and experiences."