THE RISING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mara Rupners
(914) 428-4220 x 229
mrupners@westarts.com
 Step by Step: The Making of Westchester’s 9/11 Memorial
Arts Events Enhance New Exhibit at the Arts Exchange
(August 30, 2006, White Plains, NY) ---- Rod by rod, welded together one segment at a time, The Rising, Westchester’s September 11th Memorial, was assembled like the pieces of an erector set -- except that it was made with 10,000 linear feet of stainless steel that weighs 18 tons. And, instead of a group of youngsters, it took a brilliant team of artists, architects, engineers, computer designers, and skilled technicians and laborers to make it happen.
A Community Comes Together: The Making of The Rising, Westchester County September 11th Memorial, is a multi-media exhibition chronicling the five-year development of this public work of art. The exhibit, designed and curated by the Hudson River Museum and made possible by the Westchester Arts Council in cooperation with Westchester County, Friends of Westchester County Parks and Frederic Schwartz Architects, will open to the public on September 7 and remain on view through September 26 at the Westchester Arts Council’s Arts Exchange Building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 noon to 5 p.m.; the exhibit will also be open on Monday, September 11th, from noon to 5 p.m.
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 On Saturday, September 9 the Westchester Arts Council will be presenting two unique arts events to mark the opening of the exhibit. From 4 - 5 pm, professional writer and teaching artist Brenda Connor-Bey will lead Saying What You Saw, a written and spoken word workshop, encouraging 7-12 year olds to explore the exhibit and express their reactions in writing. This 50-minute writing workshop is designed to allow participants to enter the visual doorway of a visual art piece, examine it from different perspectives, reflect on what that visual means to them and, in their own words, chronicle what they have seen. Several ‘how-to’ exercises will be modeled to ensure that all who take part in the workshop will have something to say. Scribes will be available for younger participants. This workshop is free and open to the public. RSVPs preferred - please call 914-428-4220 x223 by 2 pm on Saturday (walk-ins welcome).
Following the workshop the Arts Council presents an uplifting concert celebrating the resilience of America’s people. Linda Russell and Companie: Traditional American Folk Balladeers begins at 5:30pm; tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, with a special $10 discount ticket children under 12, students and seniors. Tickets can be reserved by calling 914-428-4220 x223.
The Rising is an 80-foot high stainless steel sculpture designed by world-renowned architect Frederic Schwartz to honor the 109 Westchester residents who died in the tragedies of September 11th. The memorial is situated at the eastern corner of the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, and it will be formally dedicated on Sunday September 10th.
The exhibition features a wide selection of photographs, videos, architectural drawings, computerized images and other works that illustrate each stage of development. On display will be models of the structure during the design process, design drawings of the Circle of Remembrance portion and samples of the nodes that were cast to refine the shape of the sculpture.
Westchester Arts Council, founded in 1965 is the largest, private not-for-profit art council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility and diversity of the arts. In 1998, the Arts Council purchased 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, now known as the Arts Exchange and is developing the building as a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations and the community.
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