The International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) is hosting a public display of Better Angels: The Firefighters of 9/11, an artist’s tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The display will be open during their annual leadership summit in Clearwater Beach, Fla., November 10-13, 2011.
Better Angels: The Firefighters of 9/11 is a work of art created by Colorado artist Dawn Siebel consisting of 343 individual oil paintings of the firefighters who died on 9/11. The work was created to honor the lives they lived and the people they loved.
Each firefighter’s portrait is painted intimately onto a small burned block of wood. There is a compelling personality in each face that leads the viewer to imagine the individuals – the lives they lived, the people they loved – while the sheer volume of faces measures the enormity of the tragedy. Assembled, this large multi-part work is 4’ high by 21’ long.
Location:
Sheraton Sand Key Hotel
Island Room
1160 Gulf Boulevard
Clearwater Beach, Florida
The artwork will be on display from 7:30 am on Thursday, November 10 through 11:30 am on Sunday, November 13. There is no charge to view the display.
The display is being brought to the Clearwater area as part of the VCOS Symposium in the Sun, a national education symposium for the leadership of volunteer and combination fire departments. The 2011 theme of the meeting is Leading Your Organization from the Inside Out and will focus on enhancing leadership skills in ways that motivate department personnel and create a greater impact on the entire community.