ModVic humbled by role in a September 11th memorial project that pays tribute to first responders
Art can inspire. Art can spur social conversations and change. And art can memorialize events and people we hold dear and wish to remember. This coming Fall, ModVic, LLC, in partnership with Salmon Studios, LLC, will unveil a new sculpture that accomplishes all three.
The project is a 9/11 memorial that will be on permanent display in Riverside Park in Springfield, MA, which will be completed in time for the city’s 2018 celebration commemorating the brave men and women who lost their lives as first responders in the terrorist attack in New York City 17 years ago.
“It’s quite an honor to be part of this memorial project,” said Bruce Rosenbaum. “Seven years ago, the city of Springfield (Massachusetts) won a bid issued by the New York Port Authority to receive one of the last remaining structural pieces from the Twin Towers.”
He went on to explain that, at the time, several cities were vying for the World Trade Center artifact, a 12-foot-long I-Beam weighing 2,950 lbs. When it was announced in 2011 that the selection committee had chosen Springfield, MA as the recipient, the city was given only 24 hours to pick it up in NYC.
Luckily, the Charlie Arment Trucking Company rose to the occasion and sent a truck to transport the large piece of steel from lower Manhattan within the allotted time.
Since completing the tense procurement of the coveted artifact, the Spirit of Springfield and other local organizations have been raising funds and considering proposals for the Riverside Park location.
Rosenbaum and Sam Ostroff, founder of Salmon Studios located in the Florence-area of Northampton, MA, submitted several designs.
The chosen design, titled “Twin Shadows”, will place the I-Beam out in front of a curved, stainless steel wall. Visitors will be able to touch the beam and feel connected to the historic moment it represents while paying their respects to the 450 first responders who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
The names will be engraved on the left and right sides of the inward facing curvature, with two areas of negative space in between. At night, lights will shine from two directions on the beam, casting two shadows onto the negative space. This will accentuate the sculpture in the darkness and serve to represent the two towers that were destroyed.
The monument is scheduled to be completed and installed by September 11, 2018 – in time to mark the 17th anniversary of the attacks. To learn more about the city’s project, check out this Mass Live article
