Norman Rockwell Museum Exhibits Artwork By Children Affected By 9/11 Tragedy

These are the children and close relatives of firemen, policemen, municipal workers, flight attendants, and others who lost their lives as a result of the catastrophic event. The pieces on view were made by the children while staying at America's Camp in the Berkshire Hills of Western Mass., and tell moving stories of loss, love, and hope.

Since 2003, the children have produced a large-scale art project at America's Camp during their weeklong summer stay. Designed to memorialize lost loved ones, the art projects were conceived and implemented by Traci Molloy, the camp's artist-in-residence. According to Molloy, they "strive to challenge the public's beliefs about adolescent culture and loss." The artistic collaboration "provides a shared experience where the children may simultaneously confront the past and heal for the future," she notes.

There are four works featured in the exhibition, which was organized by Norman Rockwell Museum Curator Charles Sable. "Quilt Slam: Through Their Eyes" (2003) is a 35-foot-long by 5-foot-high tapestry composed of about 300 squares that individually and collectively honor the lives of those who perished. "The Sky Project" (2004) is a mixed-media mural of wooden panels depicting the night sky spangled with stars; "Apollo's Ascent" (2005) features a series of mono-prints created as "postcards" of tribute; and "The Feathers of the Phoenix" (2006) is a 3-D collage inspired by a camper who said that "the phoenix lives forever."

For the last four years, Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in Stockbridge has been home to this retreat for second- to tenth-grade children. This summer, Camp Danbee in Hinsdale, Mass., is hosting the program. More than 150 volunteers donate their time and services to this program each year. America Camp's staff includes trained grief support facilitators, medical personnel, instructors, and coaches.

Developing the exhibition of the children's artwork was the brainchild of Cris Raymond, former volunteer at Norman Rockwell Museum and a strong advocate of America's Camp. "September 11 is now burnished into the American memory, much as Pearl Harbor was during World War II," she notes. "Norman Rockwell chronicled his times through illustration and the children of 9/11 are chronicling our times through their art." -- www.nrm.org