The Trailblazing Women of Western New York Monument Project was initiated in 2016 by the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women in conjunction with the University at Buffalo Gender Institute. Kelly was immediately asked to join the steering committee and serve as the design project manager. The purpose of the project is to highlight and celebrate the significant contributions of women in the development of this region and the country.

In the past twenty years, countries throughout the world have been realizing the importance of memorializing the significant contributions made by women to their societies. At present, 8% of our monuments in the United States honor women and in Buffalo, only 2% do so. Erie County is seizing an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of trailblazing women from this region, elevating their contributions to the national stage and demonstrating to our citizens the importance of discovering these hidden histories. Bronze monuments to significant Buffalo leaders will be placed on the Plaza of the Buff alo and Erie County Central Library:

Louise Blanchard Bethune, FAIA, 1856-1913

The first professional woman architect in the United States, Louise Blanchard Bethune was a national leader in the architectural profession. A staunch advocate for equal pay for equal work, Bethune advocated for co-education and design excellence in educational design.

Mary Burnett Talbert, 1866-1923

An internationally respected civil rights leader, Mary Burnett Talbert was an anti-lynching activist, suffragist, preservationist and educator. She was an early member of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, which she helped organize in addition to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Geraldine “Gawo:sid-Tah” Green, 1929-2009

A devote educator of her Haudenosaunee traditions, Sid-tah was one of the venerable fluent speakers of the Seneca language who shared her knowledge with throughout the region and national.

The project budget is $500,000. $250,000 Will be donated by Erie County. Phase II of this project will be a plaque program that honors other women who have made significant contributions to our region and/or the nation.

The planning committee has generated several public relations initiatives to support the monument program:

• Talking Statues is a website that allows visitors to listen to actors read portions of speeches written by the the TBW honorees Bethune, Talbert, and Green. Kelly wrote Bethune’s script and enlisted the actor, Margo Davis, to provide her voice.

• Trailblazing Women Mapping Program (in development) is a collaboration with Buffalo State College. It is website and app which identifies significant landmarks of the three TBW honorees Bethune, Talbert, and Green in a GIS platform. Kelly proved the relevant content on Bethune.

Through a sponsorship from AIA New York State, Kelly worked with Telesco Creative Group to create ephemera in support of the program. T-shirts are now available for sale and have become very popular in the region. Postcards are available at our fundraising programs and help to spread the word about our initiative.