For Immediate Release: August 8, 2002
Further information: Ann Scanlon (617) 514-1662
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers."
President John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
BOSTON-Ten large panels of the United in Memory: 9-11 Victims Memorial Quilt will be on exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum on September 11, 2002, as part of the Library's day-long effort to mark this solemn anniversary.
The Memorial Quilt is a global volunteer undertaking to honor the victims of September 11th. Inspired by the AIDS Quilt, the United in Memory Quilt, when completed, will include a square with each victim's name and photographs or other items that reveal his or her uniqueness. For more information about the United in Memory Quilt, access www.unitedinmemory.net .
With each panel measuring 10½ feet by 10½ feet, the ten panels will cover a majority of the Pavilion floor. Visitors will be able to walk around the Quilt or view it from vantage points that overlook the Pavilion. Famed architect I.M. Pei, who designed the Kennedy Library and Museum, created the Pavilion to be a place for quiet reflection. Glass-encased and 110 feet high, the Pavilion looks out over Dorchester Bay, a scene accentuated by striking expanses of ocean and sky. The Boston skyline stretches to the left and off in the distance sits Logan International Airport, from which jets soar above the Library throughout the day. The Memorial Quilt exhibit will be at the Kennedy Library through September 30, 2002.
Also on display in the Pavilion is the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award presented by Senator and Caroline Kennedy on May 6, 2002, to four representatives of the nation's public servants in recognition of the courage, heroism, and selflessness demonstrated by thousands of fire, police, military, and other municipal personnel on September 11th. The Award's Tiffany lantern design represents "a beacon of hope."
On Wednesday, September 11, 2002, admission to the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Library will be free, and the Museum's hours will be extended on September 11 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to allow the maximum number of people to view the Quilt and observe the moment of silence at 8:46 a.m.
The Kennedy Library will host a free tribute concert, "A Nation Remembers," from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. that evening with performances by the Boston Landmarks Orchestra and the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College. Reservations for the free concert are required as seating is limited and may be made by calling (617) 929-4571.
"Last year, following September 11th, many people found comfort in the words and life of President Kennedy and in the Library's reflective, peaceful setting," said Deborah Leff, Director of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. "We want to share the Memorial Quilt and tribute concert with the community and to open our doors again, hoping many will find solace and a renewed sense of our nation here at the John F. Kennedy Library."
The Kennedy Library's day of remembrance is part of a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the American Association of Museums, which is promoting September 11, 2002, as an occasion to "Celebrate America's Freedoms: A Day of Remembrance."