Duquesne Light and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Honor Sept. 11 With Lighting Memorials

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, Duquesne Light and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust have developed two temporary lighting projects that will be illuminated on Wednesday, Sept. 7, in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. 

The projections are designed to collectively create a space where people can gather and reflect on the enormity of this day and to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of the terror attacks and their families. Both installations will run Sept. 7 to 18 from dusk until midnight. 

The first projection, located on the 10th Street façade of the Courtyard Marriott, honors the heroes of United Flight 93 and the ultimate sacrifice they made on behalf of this nation just 80 miles east of Pittsburgh in Shanksville, Pa. The names of all 40 passengers and crew members are listed in the design and a short biography for each will be on-site at ground level. 

Information for the design was provided by the Flight 93 National Memorial which will dedicate its permanent memorial in Shanksville on Sept. 10, 2011.

“Given the proximity of Pittsburgh to Shanksville, we envisioned these installations as an artful and reverent way for the city to recognize the tremendous courage of the passengers and crew of Flight 93, as well as to mark this unforgettable moment in history,”  said Veronica Corpuz, Director of Public Relations for The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

The second lighting installation, located on the David L. Lawrence Convention Center garage façade, is inspired by the tradition of lighting a candle on Sept. 11in honor of the victims and their families made by millions of people around the world annually. It is designed to reinforce that “we will never forget” and deliver a message of love and support, ending with a quote by an unknown author:  “... Love leaves a memory no one can steal.”

 “The world will never forget Sept. 11, 2001, and the countless heroes of that day and the weeks, months and years that followed," said Joey Vallarian, Manager, Media and Community Relations at Duquesne Light. "We light a candle to all of them and their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, relatives and friends to let them know that they will never be forgotten.

“We are proud and humbled to bring this poignant memorial to the city of Pittsburgh."

The lighting installation is a project of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and was made possible through generous support from Duquesne Light. The lighting projections were designed by Artlumiere of New York City with production support by Flyspace Productions of Pittsburgh.