WCCC students unveil 9/11 art installation

A Monessen student was among the artists who worked on the steel sculpture located at the college’s campus near Youngwood.

By QUINCEY CATULLO
TribLive

A steel sculpture — an American flag flanked by human silhouettes — now lines the side of the Student Achievement Center at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood, paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The words “remember” and “community” are carved into the silhouettes, which depict the soldiers, firefighters, police officers and everyday people who sacrificed their lives 25 years ago Friday.

Unveiled Wednesday, the installation complements the college’s longstanding 9/11 Memorial, a stone courtyard with benches and a marble plaque. The artwork was created by six of the college’s students: Zea Zingarelli of Greensburg; Megan Ranker and Luke Sechrist of Mt. Pleasant; Nevaeh Collins of Lower Burrell; Sarah Palmer of Irwin; and William Custodio of Monessen.

The students spent about two and a half months designing and creating the sculpture out of steel, paying homage to Pittsburgh’s roots in the steel industry. They used tools from the college’s MADE space — an innovation lab, design and textile studio and a woodworking and metalworking shop.

It took the students about two days to decide on a design, Zingarelli said.

“Everybody was so open with how they wanted to do stuff, so it made the process easy,” she said.

The three panels used to craft the American flag represent the past, present and future, Custodio said.

“Hopefully, somebody can look at it and reflect back on all the good things, bad things,” he said, “and hope for the better of the future.”

The students aimed to represent in the installation the people who sacrificed their lives amid the terrorist attacks, Collins said.

“I think we also wanted to put a lot of emphasis on having the first responders up there, because they were a big part of this. They lost their lives,” she said. “Not only that, but also adding everyday people on the other panel, because they don’t really get talked about.

“There are so many people that went out and risked their lives to help out during this tragedy.”

‘Remembrance, strength, unity and hope’

Alan Laick, assistant professor of graphic communications, said the installation encourages viewers to pause and reflect on the historic event.

“For many of our students, 9/11 was something that they learned about, rather than personally experienced,” he said. “Creating this memorial allowed them to engage with the event in a personal and thoughtful way.”

The six student designers had the opportunity to learn about 9/11 while flexing their creative muscles, said Michael McDevitt, assistant professor of art.

“Our goal was to create something respectful and meaningful without focusing solely on the tragedy. We wanted the artwork to also communicate remembrance, strength, unity and hope,” he said. “The students brought different perspectives to the project, and because they each approached the subject differently, the final piece became a collective expression — not just the vision of a single person.”