At the 9/11 Memorial Glade in Manhattan, the following words are inscribed:
Here we honor the tens of thousands
From across America and around the world
Who came to help and to heal
Whose selflessness and resolve
Perseverance and courage
Renewed the spirit of a grieving city
Gave hope to the nation
And inspired the world.
The events that shook the world on that day in 2001 are memorialized in that spot not for the tragic loss that resulted. Instead, 9/11 is remembered for the selfless, inspiring response of the world in the face of that tragedy.
its shadow falls on two markers that represent the collapse of the south tower at 9:59am and the north tower’s collapse at 10:28am, respectively.
Fulton-Montgomery Community College installed its own memorial to 9/11 in December 2015 thanks to a collaborative effort between the FM Foundation, Director of the Perrella Gallery Joel Chapin, and FM graduate Louis Pabon, who had witnessed the aftermath of the attacks first-hand while working clean-up at the site. Pabon made it his mission to secure part of the World Trade Center and bring it to FM to be displayed in a way that inspires and uplifts viewers.
Today, visitors to the Perrella Sculpture Garden can meditate on the 33-foot tall section of the communications antenna that was once situated atop the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Incredibly, the antenna survived the attack, mangled but intact. The antenna has been positioned in a such a way that, on 9/11, its shadow falls on two markers that represent the collapse of the south tower at 9:59am and the north tower’s collapse at 10:28am, respectively.
In a 2015 interview, Director of the Perrella Gallery Joel Chapin said,
“The piece is unlike any other World Trade Center artifact… It kind of looks like something that was alive, almost like a spine. It was at the very top of this building, and it survived coming down.”
The antenna serves as a reminder of resilience in the face of hardship, a reminder that is poignant this year, as many Americans and New Yorkers have once more faced seemingly insurmountable odds in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s more, the artifact of the tragedy has been transformed by artistic vision. Howard Brott Sr., an artist and metal worker, turned the mangled bottom portion of the antenna into a sculpture called Eagles Rising, which calls to mind the phoenix, a mythic bird capable of rising from the ashes of its own destruction.
This year, Fulton-Montgomery will once more remember this message of resurgence in a 9/11 memorial. The event will take place Saturday September 11th, 2021 at the Memorial site at 8:00 AM. All are welcome.
We’d also like to offer a heartfelt thank you to all the generous donors who helped the FM Foundation for fund this special memorial.
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