9/11 Commemorative Artwork Arrives In Pembroke Pines
PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4) - Five years in the making, the art pieces memorializing those who lost their lives on 9/11 have finally made their way to Pembroke Pines residents.
"Finally, we can display the art to commemorate the people who died 10 years ago," artist Benoit Menasche told CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald. Menasche created the works with fellow artists Felix Gonzalez, "We have to make sure no one ever forgets."
The collection was inspired by a 250-pound steel girder retrieved from "Ground Zero" and donated in 2005 by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The sculptures were transported from a workshop near the Everglades to Pembroke Pines City Center and were placed under a 12 foot-high steel gazebo near the new Veterans Memorial located 10300 Pines Blvd.
One of Menasche's featured pieces is a nine-ton Italian marble cube which will serve as a base for the girder and display the four stages of the tragedyon its sides; the shock of the attack, disbelief, grieving and rebuilding .
According to the city's website;
"Surrounding this central structure will be massive steel statues breathtakingly created by artist Felix Gonzalez. It is impossible to view these statues without a rush of emotion. The sculptures pay tribute to the heroism displayed on that terrible day. They include a depiction of the Twin Towers, a firefighter, a police officer, a woman, and a child."
The artworks are meant to portray the emotions of suffering and renewal in remembering September 11.
The collection was funded by donations. The city paid $167,000 to build the gazebos.
There will be an official unveiling ceremony of the commemorative artwork at 8:30 a.m. on September 11.
