Ellen Anstey, David Byers (2023)
Multi-Media Summary
From 2010-2021, the United States Mint produced 56 new quarter designs authorized by the "America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008." The artwork designs on these new coins offered a unique way to connect the public to the powerful stories and spectacular scenery embodied in "America's best idea" - the National Parks. Designs needed to convey the power and importance of place, capture how each place wanted to be known and remembered, have strong public appeal, and provide educational value. Artists were tasked with representing America's majestic landscapes as well as its storied past on a very small canvas. Developing artwork to meet all of these goals proved challenging and sometimes contentious. This presentation examines how artwork for the quarters was selected and reviewed, controversies that erupted, and some of the ways that the new coins were launched and introduced to the public. Speakers: Ellen Anstey, David Byers.
