American Embassy London: September 11 Remembered:

September 11 Remembered

London International Gallery of Children's Art
Press Release
September 11th – Reflections by Children

On September 5th, 2002 from 5-7 pm, the London International Gallery of Children's Art will open an exhibition of children's artwork done in response to the tragedies of September 11th. The assistant cultural attaché of the U.S. Embassy, Kimberly Murphy, will host our opening.

In the days following the terrorist attacks last year, people of all nationalities gravitated to the U.S. Embassy to offer their condolences. During those painful days, Grosvenor Square in front of the Embassy spontaneously became a memorial site.

Thousands of people lined up to sign condolence books. Many left mementos: flowers, cards, drawings and even toys. Among them were dozens of children who, like their parents, felt so affected by the events that they were moved to leave something.

All those items are now part of the archives of the U.S. Embassy. The Embassy has kindly loaned to our Gallery many of the insightful and moving pieces of art left by children. In the exhibit you will see drawings like the poignant sign saying, "To All Those Who Lost There Lives in the USA, Sleep Peacefully" or a collage made by the St. John Fisher Girl Club. Each heart in the collage represents a prayer said for a person injured or killed on September 11th.

Some pieces in the archives of the U.S. Embassy were presented personally to the American Ambassador, William S. Farish III. One, which sits permanently in the corridor leading to the Ambassador's office, is a pyramid of origami cranes made by a Japanese mother and daughter. According to Japanese tradition, the origami cranes represent peace and are a traditional way that Japanese symbolize the healing that follows a tragedy.

Healing is the focus of another series of pictures included in this exhibition. These drawings were created in New York City. Children living in Manhattan had a close and frightening view of what happened on September 11th. Following the attacks, the Italian Cultural Institute tried to help children confront the confusing emotions brought on by the attacks by organizing a drawing workshop.

In this drawing exercise, students at La Scuola D'Italia Guglielmo Marconi, New York City's only Italian school, were encouraged to look beyond September 11th . Each child was asked to create a proposal for rebuilding the site of the Twin Towers. The project was entitled "Imagine a New Twin Towers." The young artists came up with poignant and imaginative ideas: from zoos to bridges to fountains. They all had one thing in common: Hope.

At the London International Gallery of Children's Art, we see this exhibit as part of the healing process that followed September 11th and continues to this day. From the spontaneous outpouring of emotion at the U.S. Embassy to the ideas of hope, rebuilding and remembrance illustrated by the children in New York, this artwork reminds us that children often can sum up this confusing world better than adults.

The exhibit will be on view at the London International Gallery of Children's Art from September 5 – October 6, 2002. The Gallery is located in the 02 Centre at 255 Finchley Road, London, NW3 2DR. Please telephone us for details: 020-7435-0903.