Chinese American Artists - Maya Lin

Born:  Oct. 5, 1959 

Place of birth: 

Athens, Ohio 

Profession:  Architect

	Maya Lin designed the most visited public American artwork of the 20th 
century, the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

	In the fall of 1980, the Vietnam Veterans' memorial Fund, established by 
Ian Scruggs and other veterans who had collected seven million dollars, 
announced a competition to create a monument to the US soldiers who fought 
in Vietnam, to be installed in Constitution Gardens in Washington, D.C. 
The requirements were that the artwork be by an adult American citizen, be 
contemplative and harmonious with its site, make no political statement, 
and contain the names of all military personnel who had died.
There were 1,421 entries responded to the competition. Maya Lin, then 21 
years old, a Yale student majoring Architecture, won first place with her 
entry.

	The project was controversial from the beginning. Maya Lin was forced more 
than once to defend her design and her personal background at the public 
hearings in Washington. In the process, Maya Lin showed the strength of 
her character. The power of the design prevails: the "Vietnam memorial 
wall" was dedicated on November 13, 1982. Ultimately, Lin's work was well 
received by the millions who have visited the wall and are deeply moved by 
it.

	After the Memorial was built, Lin continued her architectural design 
career. In 1989, the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama was 
dedicated. She also designed the "Women's Table," an outdoor sculpture at 
Yale University. Among the other projects that she worked on are the Open 
Air Chapel at Juanita College in Huntington, Pennsylvania (1989), the Rosa 
Esman Gallery in New York (1990), and TOPO Topiary Playing Field in 
Charlotte, North Carolina (1991, with Henry Arnold), and a clock for the 
ren-ovated Pennsylvania Street Station in New York (1994).

	Maya Lin has won many awards and honors. She has received an honorary 
doctorate of fine art's degree from Yale University (1987), the 
Presidential Design Award (1988), and the American Institute of Architects 
Honor Awards (1984). Her work has also been shown in many exhibitions.