‘Remember 9/11 – Tenth Year’ Almost Complete
It only seemed like a blink of the eye when Americans’ lives and our way of thinking was changed forever 10 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.
One local and internationally known artist, Leoma Lovegrove, has been working on several projects over the last few years including her most recent one called “Remember 9/11-Tenth Year.”
On Sunday, Lovegrove brought her project to The Shell Factory & Nature Park here in North Fort Myers for all to see and be a part of her patriotic thoughts and inspiration.
When asked about her earlier projects with the American eagles she said, “I always painted wildlife and birds but started doing eagles about a year ago because they’re patriotic and they represented patriotism. I wanted to do something that involved the community while contributing to the 9/11 project. This helps us all remember what happened and gives us the chance to help rebuild what was broken.”
Attendees Thomas and Cheryl Boyle took a similar view.
“I think this is great,” he said while he was putting on the finishing touches of the name “ITC Donald M. Young USN,” who perished in the Pentagon.
The “Remember 9/11-Tenth year” project consists of a list of names of those who lost their lives on that dark day almost a decade ago. Each name was painted on the huge 10-foot by 18-foot canvas using three colors – red, white, and blue – with each color representing the Towers, Pentagon, and Pennsylvania.
“Almost all of the names are painted and a few even were painted twice because some residents either knew or were part of that tragic day,” Lovegrove said, as she painted yet another one from the list of victims.
When the names are complete she will paint an American eagle on the reverse side of the gigantic canvas and put the finishing touches on at the unveiling.
The canvas will make one more stop before it gets immortalized on Sept. 11.
At Hammond Stadium this Friday, Sept. 2, there will be a ceremony at 6:45 p.m. to honor Ken Davis, who was one of the survivors from the towers. He will never forget that day and he has tattooed the Twin Towers on his arm in remembrance of those he knew.
On Sunday, Sept. 11, there will be a luncheon at 11 a.m. for this commemorative event at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
The program tickets are complimentary and have to be picked up in advance at the ticket office.
At last count there were only about 80 tickets left. If interested stop by the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers to pick up tickets.
Several members of the NYPD Local 1013 also will take part in the procedures.
After this memorial dedication, Lovegrove will submitt the commemorative painting to the Alliance of the Arts where she hopes they will take it to Southwest Florida International Airport for display along with another work of art that she created with the community called “Remember 9/11,” which is in Hanger “D” at the Southwest Florida International Airport.