Gordon is honored to be chosen as a finalist for a Memorial for The City of Half Moon Bay, The Farmworkers Memorial Garden (FMG) in Downtown Half Moon Bay.

 

On January 23, 2023, a tragic mass shooting shocked the Half Moon Bay community. Seven farmworkers who lived and worked at two separate farms located in Half Moon Bay and the adjacent unincorporated San Mateo County were killed. The victims were Mandarin and Spanish-speaking farmworkers who had been on the Coast for several years dedicating their lives to agricultural work.

The city recognizes the need to create a lasting memorial where the complexity of emotions this tragedy brought to the local community can shift towards reflection, resilience, healing, and unity. The memorial will be located in downtown Half Moon Bay, at a location to be determined. This space will serve as a permanent memorial to honor the lives of the seven Chinese and Mexican farmworkers that were lost after the devastating mass shooting on January 23, 2023, and acknowledge the deeply rooted contributions of the farmworker community on the coast side.

 

To create a lasting memorial that is respectful and culturally appropriate, the city tasked the Farmworker Memorial and Remembrance Advisory Committee (FMRAC) with assisting in the development of the guidelines and elements that will inform the project. The FMRAC is a group of volunteers made up of nonprofit organization partners, farmworkers, next of kin, and community members.

 

Gordon is grateful for this opportunity to contribute to the creation of a meaningful, permanent memorial to honor the seven lives lost in the shootings Events such as these highlight the need for permanent places of sanctuary, creating serene settings of solidarity, remembrance and reflection where families of the victims and the community at large can gather to process grief, find peace and participate in a communal healing process. For this project Gordon is joined by Gates + Associates, a women-owned landscape architecture, urban design and land planning firm. They specialize in collaborating with public artists to seamlessly integrate art elements into the landscape and brings a wealth of experience in community engagement and working with marginalized and underrepresented communities. As Bay Area businesses and residents, Gordon Huether Studio and Gates + Associates feel a strong connection to the region and to the diverse communities that form the fabric of our communities.