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Public Employee Press
REMEMBERING 9/11: 15 YEARS LATER REBUILDING: Union hosts 9/11 art exhibit
BY MIKE LEE
THE union opened an exhibit on Sept. 12 of the stone lithographic work of pioneer firefighter and retired FDNY Capt. Brenda Berkman to honor the memory of the hundreds of heroes who gave their lives responding the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, on Sept. 11, 2001, and survivors who now cope with debilitating illnesses.
Berkman, who broke barriers by becoming the first woman firefighter in FDNY history, was a first responder on 9/11 and witness of that terrible day, when hundreds of her colleagues lost their lives.
For nearly a decade, Berkman led tours for the 9/11 Family Tribute Center.
During the experience, she found inspiration for her art.
In her artist's statement for the exhibit, she wrote, "I watched the new World Trade center start to rise. I began to be fascinated by that new building; I liked the design of it far better than the original Twin Towers. As glass went in, I could see the reflections of the clouds on the building."
This eventually led to the series-"Thirty-Six Views of One World Trade Center"-displayed at union headquarters in Manhattan throughout September. The series-featuring different views of the new building-was inspired by prints of Japanese lithograph artists, such as Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai, as well as the French artist Henri Riviere, best known for his series on the Eiffel Tower.
After thanking the union for exhibiting the work, Berkman discussed the importance of the series.
"Fifteen years on, my focus is not only to remember and honor the events of 9/11 and the people who were lost that day, but also the rebuilding," Berkman said. "It is a chronological history of the building of One World Trade Center. I think it should inspire all of us. The terrorists didn't win. We've come back and have this beautiful building. It's really about hope and moving forward, but in never forgetting the past."
Local 1549's Lee Clarke, special assistant to Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez and the former director of DC 37's Safety and Health Dept., also spoke at the event. Clarke organized the show and arranged Berkman's series to be exhibited at union headquarters with the help of Assistant Director Molly Charboneau of the DC 37 Communications Dept.
Also speaking at the opening were DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray, DC 37 Health & Security Plan Associate Administrator Audrey Browne, and Rodriguez, who in addition to heading Local 1549 is the president of DC 37.
After the close of the exhibit on Sept. 27, the lithographs became part of the permanent collection at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
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