“A Bridge, a Stitch, a Compass: A COVID Memorial for the Past, Present, and Future”

City Lore along with NAMING THE LOST Memorials,
Great Small Works, Mano a Mano, and Green-Wood Cemetery
invite you to join us in closing our five-year public art project with:

“A Bridge, a Stitch, a Compass:
A COVID Memorial for the Past, Present, and Future”

May 8th through June 8th, 2025
Green-Wood Cemetery, 5th Avenue and 25th Street, Brooklyn

Activation and ritual closing ceremony
on Thursday, May 8th from 6:30-8:30 PM

Featuring a Solemn Walk, Second Line Procession, Ritual Performances,
and City Lore’s Iconic POEMobile

The memorial contains 46,955 lights, one for each person in New York City
who died of COVID-19

New York, New York — City Lore and NAMING THE LOST Memorials (NTLM) invites the general public to come together on Thursday, May 8 from 6:30-8:30 PM for a dedication and ritual closing of the public art project commemorating victims of the Covid pandemic at the Historic Chapel at Green-Wood Cemetery. Marking the fifth anniversary of Covid 19 and its impact on New York City, the ceremony will bring together the NTLM team and community partners.

The evening will include a procession and ritual performances and will feature drummer Zafer Tawil; Second Line band with the Brass Queens; opening libation by Winston ‘Jeggae’ Hoppie; remarks by City Councilmember Alexa Aviles; vocalist and composer Adriana Vergara; artist, activist, healer, and poet, Sarah Chandler; multidisciplinary artist, astrologer and intuitive guide Nate Speare; education and youth advocate, Esther Lelievre, aka Queen Mixxy; Mexican curandera, Lucia Ce-Malinalli; and Mazarte Mexican Dance Company. Also featured will be City Lore’s iconic POEMobile. The memorial contains 46,955 lights, one for each person in New York City who died of COVID-19. This total comes from the NYC Department of Health and was last updated on April 17, 2025. Deaths include test-confirmed cases as well as others with “COVID-19” or equivalent listed on the person’s death certificate.

About NAMING THE LOST Memorials: Since May 2020, soon after the pandemic struck, NAMING THE LOST Memorials comprised of a small team of volunteer artists, activists, and folklorists, curated memorial sites in New York City to name and remember victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2023-2025, with sponsorship of City Lore, they have worked with 45 community groups and a large team of artists and activists to install memorials at Green-Wood Cemetery and St. Mark’s Church in conjunction with Mano a Mano’s Día de Muertos celebration. The memorials consisted of tens of thousands of nameplates with personalized drawings and photos, created by the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones to the virus. NAMING THE LOST Memorials will create their final memorial in the fall of 2025, part of Mano a Mano’s annual Day of the Dead celebration at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery.