September 11, 2001 will be indelibly imprinted in our minds. Overwhelmed with a sense of sadness, New Yorkers came together in many different ways ~ in cleanup, in prayer, and in art. On September 12th, pictures of lost loved-ones were hung on a chain linked fence in Greenwich Village, with the hope that they would be found. Along-side these pictures were ceramics shaped angels, handprinted with patriotic symbols. Over the next weeks and months, the ceramic tiles on the fence grew ~ and eventually they were saved and placed permanently in a small triangular park in Greenwich Village.
After 9/11, a local artist (Lorrie Veassy) began making angel doves and American flags in the Our Name is Mud Pottery Shop in the Village. She hung them in and around the snapshots of loved ones. In the end, thousands of tiles were created and hung on the fence, where they were a constant reminder ~ a creative journal of that tragic day, until they were taken down in 2011 and 2012.
The tiles were not just created by New Yorkers. They began arriving from other states and even other countries. They came from church groups, senior groups, families and all those feeling our pain. Many of the tiles reflected patriotism and the heroes at the site every day. Many reflected unity and hope.
The original chain linked fence is now long gone. It stood close to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where many who survived were taken.
Visit some of the tiles in their permanent home, right next door to the original chain-link fence in Mulry Square, on the corner of Greenwich Avenue and Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village.
Follow 9/11 Tiles for America on Facebook.