Nine One One "The Day the World Stood Still" Sept. 11, 2001

We are postponing our coverage of the new fall season in deference to the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

"Tribute in Light" commemorates the 9/11 attacks with a reminder of the towers that used to be. The lights shine into the sky and infinity. Photograph courtesy of Alina Oswald Photography, copyright 2010.

September 11, 2001 was a watershed day in American and world history. It will go down as the day so many things changed. With this Sunday, being the tenth anniversary, we will look at images surrounding 9/11/01 and the memorials and events associated with that fateful day and this tenth anniversary.

The National September 11 Memorial. The nearly 3,000 names of the men, women, and children killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 are inscribed in bronze on parapets surrounding the twin Memorial pools. A guide to where names are located is shown above.  (Rendering courtesy of  the National September 11 Memorial)

THE 9/11 MEMORIAL IN NYC. On Sunday, September 11, 2011, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will open to the family members of victims, then to the public on September 12. Sitting on the redeveloped World Trade Center site, the memorial is comprised of twin reflecting pools, featuring two enormous waterfalls in the footprints of the original twin towers. The 2,983 names of the people who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks – including those who died in the Pentagon and in Shanksville, PA – and the six people who died in the truck bomb explosion on February 26, 1993, are inscribed on bronze panels on the edge of the pools.

The rest of the plaza features more than 225 swamp white oak trees and kiosks where visitors can search for names and placement on the memorial by name, company, flight, tower and hometown. The Memorial Museum is scheduled to open in 2012.

To enter the memorial, you must reserve a visitor pass at www.911memorial.org. The passes are free and can be reserved up to six months in advance. As the site is still not completed, you can get a close-up view of what the site will eventually look like at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, across the street from the World Trade Center site. Here, you’ll learn about the plans and progress of the site through models, renderings and films.

IMAGES & MEMORIES FROM 9/11 

In the WTC Visitor Center galleries at 120 Liberty Street, adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial site and near the new Freedom Tower, memories and photos of members of the World Trade Center community recount the tragedy and the response of people from around the world.  Tours can be arranged. The Visitor Center is a moving tribute and the $10 admission charge goes towards educational programming and the operation of the Center. The Visitor Center is a project of the September 11th Families’ Association. 

Some quotes found in the visitor center:

"I saw another plane come towards the tower. I thought, oh that's incredible that a rescue plane could come so fast. And then I saw it go right through the corner of the building, wings sheared off, and the engines came flying... we're under attack." TriBeCa resident

"The ferries from New Jersey were pulling up at the marina and two cops were helping. People on the beat were saying 'Women and children first'." NYPD Inspector

"The cloud was enormous. It surrounded all the buildings. A lot of folks wanted to stay in their offices until some of that cloud subsided." Downtown executive

At the Navy Command Center in the Pentagon: "We were recording the events in NYC, just then Flight 77 crashed through my office. I was slammed to the deck by a thunderous shockwave and fireball. A space full of life instantly became a scene of carnage and horror." Navy Lieutenant

"My mother had always said that Pearl Harbor was the worst day of her life...She was on Flight 93 (over Pennsylvania) coming to live with me...When the plane hit, I got this second sense..." Family member

The Twin Towers of NYC's World Trade Center, before the attack.

A moment before the second tower impact.

The dust cloud from the WTC towers.

The Shanksville, Pennsylvania 9/11 Crash. 

The Pentagon, after the attack.

Photos from the World Trade Center,NYC, after the attack.

Artist Koenig's "Sphere" sculpture from the old WTC Plaza, a symbol of resilience and remembrance, was for a while in Battery Park. 

Rendering of the Freedom Tower (left),

other WTC site structures and the memorial (lower center).

British Memorial Garden
Hanover Square, Intersection of Hanover and Pearl Streets

England's Prince Charles donated the flowering plants from his personal garden.

With the motto "Reflect, Remember, Rebuild... ", The British Garden celebrates the strong ties of both countries in the past and present, the hope for unity in the future and a promise never to forget those whom we have lost along the way.

Come to Pier 40 for the World Trade Center Memorial Floating Lanterns Ceremony, in which you can decorate a lantern with the name of a loved one and a message. Pay respects to the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the attacks at the FDNY Memorial Ceremony, hosted by the New York City Fire Museum.

10 years of "Tribute in Light"

One of the most stunning tributes is the Tenth Annual Tribute in Light, in which two beams of light mimic the shape and orientation of the World Trade Center towers. The best spots to see this are Washington Square Park, Union Square, the Brooklyn Bridge and Jersey City, NJ across the Hudson River.

The Baruch Performing Arts Center will host  “A Blue Sky Like No Other” in which former Wall Streeter, Steve Fetter, shares the first-hand account of his 9/11 experiences in a solo multimedia monologue. 

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater wil host  “The 9/11 Performance Project” which presents a weekend of plays and panel discussion devoted to the 10th Anniversary of September 11.

"Folded Steel Column," 2009 - © Francesc Torres part of the "Remembering 9/11" exhibit 
at The International Center of Photography.

On September 11, the Museum of the City of New York presents “In Memoriam – New York City, 9/11/01.” This 2002 Emmy Award-winning documentary incorporates interviews and video footage of the events of 9/11 and its aftermath. The Museum also has exhibits related to the past, present, and future of the World Trade Center site.

The American Express 11 Memorial:

American Express will honor its 11 employees killed on 9/11. A 600-pound, tear-shaped Brazilian quartz, carved with 11 sides (Designed by lower Manhattan artist Ken Smith) is suspended at the center of the memorial. The quartz hangs from 11 thin cables over the center of a black, granite pool with 11 sides. The names of the victims who worked for American Express are inscribed on the sides of the pool. 

BELL OF HOPE

209 Broadway (at St. Paul’s Chapel)

The "Bell of Hope" being made in England.

The city of London presented the bell to City of New York in 2002, exactly one year after 9/11. The "Bell of Hope" stands in the churchyard of St. Paul’s Chapel as an enduring memorial and is rung on occasions when the parish pays tribute to all victims of terrorism. The chapel’s clergy tolls the bell in four sets of five rings. The bell has been rung following the London, Madrid, and Mumbai bombings, school shootings and on 9/11 anniversaries.

St Paul's Chapel, NYC, shielded from distruction by a tree, 

was also at the center of the fire fighter's and police recovery efforts,

it still displays a memorial inside.

The Trinity Root, sculpture at Wall St. & Broadway.

The 'Trinity Root' memorial sculpture, a bronze by Steve Tobin, of the roots from the uprooted tree that shielded St. Paul's Chapel across the street from the world trade center site, on September 11, 2001. St. Paul's is one of the few American Colonial icons in NYC and was miraculously spared from damage by all of the falling steel, concrete, glass and debris. The sculpture can be seen next to Trinity Wall Street at Broadway and Wall Street.

MoMA'S PS1 - SEPTEMBER 11

September 11, 2011–January 9, 2012

OPENING: Sunday, September 11, 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Mary Lucier
Dawn Burn (detail), 1975
Seven-channel video installation

 MoMA's PS1 presents a major exhibition reflecting upon the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ways that they have altered how we see and experience the world in their wake. Eschewing images of the event itself, as well as art made directly in response, the exhibition provides a subjective framework within which to consider the attacks in New York and their aftermath. Organized by MoMA PS1 Curator Peter Eleey, September 11 features more than 70 works by 41 artists and occupies the entire second floor of the museum, with additional works located elsewhere in the building and in the surrounding neighborhood. 

William Eggleston
Untitled (Glass in Airplane)
from The Los Alamos Portfolio, 1965-74
Dye-transfer print

Jane Freilicher
Dark Afternoon, 2001
Oil on linen

Thomas Hirschhorn
Mondrian Altar, 1997
Mixed mediums

Featured Artists in the 9/11 exhibit at PS!: Diane Arbus, Siah Armajani, Fiona Banner, Luis Camnitzer, Janet Cardiff, John Chamberlain, Sarah Charlesworth, Christo, Jem Cohen, Bruce Conner, Jeremy Deller, Thomas Demand, Shannon Ebner, William Eggleston, Harun Farocki, Lara Favaretto, Jane Freilicher, Maureen Gallace, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Jens Haaning, Susan Hiller, Roger Hiorns, Thomas Hirschhorn, Alex Katz, Ellsworth Kelly, Barbara Kruger, Mark Lombardi, Mary Lucier, Gordon Matta-Clark, Harold Mendez, Mike Nelson, Cady Noland, Roman Ondák, Yoko Ono and John Lennon, John Pilson, Willem de Rooij, George Segal, Rosemarie Trockel, James Turrell, Stephen Vitiello, and John Williams. 

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Wordless Music Orchestra will perform a memorial concert in the Temple of Dendur on September 11, at 3:30 p.m., which will be streamed live on Q2, New York Public Radio's Internet stream, as well as on NPR Music.

 The International Center of Photography presents a five-part exhibit of photography and video entitled Remembering 9/11, that explores how New Yorkers and volunteers from across the U.S. responded to the September 11 attacks.

Also at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be the "9/11 Peace Story Quilt," designed by children's book author and illustrator Faith Ringgold. Comprised of three 72" x 50" panels, each with 12 squares, the quilts were constructed in collaboration with New York City students between the ages of eight and nineteen for the fifth anniversary of September 11, and was inspired by the book What Will YOU DO For Peace? Impact of 9/11 on New York City Youth a collection of student reactions to the tragic events of 9/11.

On Sunday, September 11 at 2 p.m. EST, Ringgold will speak about the quilts and will be joined by New York University students who will read poetry related to the Peace Story Quilt.  The general public also can contribute to the project by submitting their comments on Twitter using the hash tag #peacequilt.

Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run

Firefighter Stephen Siller’s heroism is celebrated every September during the annual NYC Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run in which Stephen’s footsteps are retraced from the Brooklyn Tunnel to Ground Zero. Siller was one of the first to arrive at the Twin Towers on September 11, running on foot with sixty pounds of gear strapped to his back, as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was closed.  Proceeds from the Run go to the Stephen Siller Foundation which raises money for children who have lost one or both parents, and for firefighter burn victims. This year, the 9^th annual NYC run will take place on September 25, 2011. Additionally, for the first time, nearly 50 Tunnel to Towers Runs will take place throughout the country on 9/11, providing communities a similar opportunity to commemorate the day.

List of other Events and Exhibitions - 9/11/2011

American Folk Art Museum: 9/11 National Tribute Quilt
Aperture Foundation: What Matters Now? Proposals for a New Front Page, September 7–24
Brooklyn Museum: Ten Years Later: Ground Zero Remembered, September 7–October 30
Calumet Photographic: John Botte: The 9/11 Photographs, September 7–24
Charles West Gallery: My 9-11: One Man's Journey Through the Unexpected Events of September 11, 2011
DC Moore Gallery: 9/11: Through Young Eyes, September 8–October 8
Ernest Rubinstein Gallery: Embodied Light: 9/11 in 2011 by Tobi Kahn, September 9–November 23
Highline Ballroom: A 10th Anniversary Memorial, NYC Style Political Cabaret, September 11
Edwynn Houk Gallery: Aftermath by Joel Meyerowitz, September 10–17
Joyce Theater: In Performance: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, September 10–11
Kerry Schuss Art: Paintings from the Perimeter by Sally Pettus, September 1–17
LMTH Gallery: Twinned Towers by Al Braithwaite, August 24–September 17
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council: InSite: Art + Commemoration, August 11–October 11
Metropolitan Museum of Art: The 9/11 Peace Story Quilt, August 30, 2011–January 22, 2012
MoMA PS1: September 11, September 11, 2011–January 9, 2012
Museum of the City of New York: The Twin Towers and the City: Photographs by Camilo Jose Vergara, September 3–December 4
National September 11 Memorial & Museum: World Trade Center Memorial
New Museum: [Swi:t] Home: A CHANT by Elena del Rivero, September 7–October 2
New York City Police Museum: 9/11: A Uniform Response, September 9, 2011–January 16, 2012
New York Historical Society: Remembering 9/11, September 8, 2011–April 1, 2012
New York Philharmonic: A Concert for New York for the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11, September 10
New York University Open House: Aftermath by Joel Meyerowitz, August 20–October 13
92nd St. Y: Joel Meyerowitz: Remembering 9/11 10 Years Later, September 11
Pace University, Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts: Witness to Tragedy and Recovery, September 8–24
Paula Cooper Gallery: Falling Leaves: An Anonymous Memorial by Bruce Conner, August 30–September 24
powerHouse Arena: Ten Years after 9/11: Searching for a 21st Century Landscape, August 20–September 16
School of Visual Arts: here is new york: Revisited, September 6–17
Saint Peter's Church, Narthex Gallery: 9/11 Elegies by Ejay Weiss, August 20–September 25
Sciame: Healing Hearts by John Coburn, September 11–15
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden: 9/11 Tribute Center
Time Warner Center: Faces of Ground Zero: 10 Years Later, August 24–September 12
Tribute WTC Visitor Center: 10th Anniversary Programs, through September 10
Woodward Gallery: Charting Ground Zero: Ten Years After, September 7–October 23

(Sources: the WTC Viisitor's Center, The National 9/11 Memorial at the WTC site, NYC Visitor information, Met Museum, International Center of Photography)

Until later,

Jack

ARTSnFOOD, All rights reserved. Concept & Original Text © Copyright 2011 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.

POSTSCRIPT

A Massachusetts Painter puts words and images together regarding the military conflict that followed 9/11 and still continues today.

Across the US, artists are motivated to make statements about how 9/11 has affected their lives and are also keeping the country’s conscience attuned to the wars which resulted from the 9/11 attacks. Massachusetts painter, Matt Mitchell’s 100 Faces of War Experience is on exhibit in Holyoke, MA near the artist's home. The fifty traditional oil paintings (100 are intended) portray Americans who have gone to war and come back—alive or dead—accompanied by words chosen by the person pictured or their families. The impact of these paintings, are amplified as other artists engage with and react to the work and through dialogues associated with the exhibition about war’s implications for individuals and the collective. (Below: Alexander Scott Arredondo)