Client: The City of Suwanee

Overview

A 1638 lb. piece of steel from one of the WTC Towers, was granted to the City by the Port Authority of New York. Suwanee’s vision for this piece of history was to serve not only as a tribute to the events of 9/11 but also as a strong symbol of recovery and…public art. The commissioned artist incorporated the artifact with a conical structure and a timeline of the events of the day, inlaid into the surrounding concrete. The display is located in Town Center Park, a 10-acre urban-style park with more than 7 acres of park/lawn area.

Goals

We knew we wanted our display to be something different, something thought provoking and educational for the next generation coming up...those who will not have memories of their own. We also wanted to maintain the integrity of the artifact while adding a public art component so we published a Call for Artists (RFP) on July 27, 2012. Bringing a professional artist into the project was crucial. It was also imperative that he/she understood the respectful nature of the display. This was not a job for our very talented public works staff, this type of project required the creative mind and soul of an artist. Our City Council agreed and gave us a budget of 70k. 'Remembrance' would not have happened without the selected artist, Marc Moulton.

Process

Once our artist and designer, Marc Moulton, was selected, he met with our Public Arts Commission, our Economic Development staff and our Public Works staff, collectively, to select the best location in the park for the display as well as to work through questions/concerns that each group might have. Our Public Works staff worked along with local contractors as well as the artist, to prepare the selected site. Marc is a sculpture instructor at a college in Statesboro, GA. so most of the physical creation took place off-site. We allowed him to take the artifact back to Statesboro in order to determine orientation as well as the method of display. We had a pretty standard but comprehensive contract with the artist wherein he agreed to regularly scheduled site visits as well as direct communications with both Economic Development and Public Works over the eight-month period between contract and installation. This was a truly collaborative process.

Additional Information

‘Remembrance’ was dedicated on September 11, 2013. Situated in a beautiful area, in our passive park, it's a place to reflect. At dusk the automatically timed lights come on and light the cone-shaped piece from within. The cut-outs in the cone reflect the sky-line of Manhattan onto the surrounding concrete. The steel artifact sits on a base just beside the cone and is also lit from within, making it visible at night. It was a conscious decision to use the word ‘Display’ rather than ‘Memorial’ because this piece is about public art as much as it is a tribute.