On August 4, 2019, a masked gunman in body armor opened fire in the Oregon District, a popular bar and restaurant locale in Dayton, killing nine people and injuring 27 others. He fired off 41 shots before Dayton police officers returned fire and killed him 30 seconds after the shooting began. It was an incident that shook the Dayton community to its core.
There is a small, empty plaza in the Oregon District and four Dayton artists have been chosen to create a memorial in this space in tribute to the victims of this shocking event. The completion of the memorial is expected to be finished by the fifth anniversary of this tragedy, August 4, 2024. The memorial is called "The Seed of Life," and last Sunday to start the project and begin the healing process the artists held an open house at the Mosaic Institute inviting anyone in the community to come and place tiles in the mosaic that will be part of the installation.
T and I went to the open house and placed some tiles in a section of the montage. August 4, 2019 is a poignant date for my family. In addition to the shooting as it was my mom's last birthday celebration. All of my siblings were in town for this occasion and even though Mom was far along in her Alzheimer's journey, she said that having all of her children together was the best gift ever. She died in May 2020. A few of the tiles we placed were dedicated to Mom and the rest to the Dayton community.
I can't wait to see the completed project.
 |
| Artists: James Pate, Jes McMillan, Terry Welker, Sierra Leone |
People need to heal from their grief, too, and little moments like this help that process.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project. I agree with Travel's comment. Too many shootings and to many grieving people. Change is needed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with both of you - too many shootings and too many grieving people. Change needs to happen.
ReplyDelete