Summary
Many artists work for years before getting noticed—but not Maya Lin! She was still in college when she won a high-profile contest to design a new memorial dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War. It was a challenging assignment: The war had been controversial, with many Americans against U.S. policy that drafted men to go and fight overseas. Lin’s simple, quiet design proved controversial, too, with critics trying to stop it at all costs. In the end, though, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial became one of our most popular memorials, and changed memorial design forever. Plus, it launched Lin’s long and successful career.
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Maya Lin:
- What is one new thing you learned about maya lin?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining maya lin.
- Draw or give one example of your own.