Press Releases

NCC Pays Tribute To 9/11 With Special Exhibition

9/11: A Nation Remembers Exhibition

CBS 3 Is The Official Media Partner

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― To commemorate the fifth anniversary of 9/11, the National Constitution Center presents an exhibition of original photographs by Jonathan Hyman, documenting how the American people responded to and remember the events of September 11th. From September 8, 2006 through January 1, 2007, the National Constitution Center will debut 9/11: A Nation Remembers.

Few events in American history have elicited the outpouring of public displays of emotion provoked by the September 11th attacks. Over the past five years, photographer Jonathan Hyman has traveled the country photographing the roadside displays, murals, and personal memorials created by Americans in response to September 11th. Hyman's photographs of this new American folk-art pay tribute to those who died and movingly depict a country coming to grips with a national tragedy.

The selection of 100 photographs featured in the exhibit inspires conversations about community, national identity, and how ordinary Americans have commemorated the day. From images of urban murals, flag-painted houses, memorials, and signs to tattoos and decorated cars and trucks, the photographs show America's sorrow, patriotism, anger, and in some cases, calls for revenge, peace and hope, or justice.

"The National Constitution Center is honored to present this powerful exhibition," says National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph Torsella. "The compelling and historic subject matter touches every American in a profound way, as seen in the extraordinary response documented in Hyman's photographs. The exhibition pays tribute to the nation's collective memory of the September 11th attacks and is an essential source for understanding our shared pride, pain, and patriotism during one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history."

9/11: A Nation Remembers illustrates the construction of a national memory and the public conversation Hyman witnessed.

"The photographs I took, from the inner city to rural areas, from the spectacular to the banal, portray a nation constructing memories through the making of art as it attempts to simultaneously heal and understand the attacks, " says photographer Jonathan Hyman.

In addition to the photographs, the exhibition will feature a talkback station designed after the "mending fence" portrayed in one of Hyman's photographs. Here, visitors can contribute their personal thoughts and reflections by either bringing a memento from home or making one at the National Constitution Center to tie onto the fence.

The National Constitution Center will present a variety of on-site programming and lesson plans for students to make this a highly engaging and teachable exhibition marking an important anniversary in American history. The Center will also develop a series of programs for adult audiences, which will assess our national response to the attacks and the issues it continues to raise.

In addition, the Center is offering special opportunities for both the families of 9/11 victims and members of the Police, Fire, and First Responders community to view the exhibition. Families of 9/11 victims are invited to a private exhibit opening on September 6, 2006. On September 7, 2006, members of the Police, Fire, and First Responders community are invited to a special exhibit preview. They will also receive free admission to 9/11: A Nation Remembers throughout the duration of the exhibit. In addition, both the Philadelphia Fire and Police Departments will offer demonstration days for families visiting the National Constitution Center. 9/11: A Nation Remembers is proudly supported by the City of Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments.

Admission to 9/11: A Nation Remembers is free with regular museum admission of $9 for adults and $7 for seniors ages 62 and up, children ages 4-12, and active military personnel. Children ages 3 and under are free. Group rates are also available, including a special Military Veterans/Senior Citizens' group package throughout the run of 9/11: A Nation Remembers. This package includes admission to 9/11: A Nation Remembers; admission to the National Constitution Center's main exhibits, including a performance of "Freedom Rising"; food vouchers for lunch in Delegates' Restaurant; and pocket Constitutions for only $14.

CBS 3 is the official media partner for the 9/11: A Nation Remembers exhibition.

"We, at CBS 3, want to make certain that the tragic events of 9/11 will forever be foremost in the minds and hearts of all Americans and Philadelphians," says Michael Colleran, president and general manager of CBS 3 and UPN 57. "To serve as the media partner for this memorable tribute is both our obligation and our honor."

CBS 3 (KYW-TV) is part of the CBS Television Stations division, one of the largest network-owned station groups. Philadelphia's first television station, CBS 3 has been providing news, information and entertainment to local viewers since 1932. The station is the home of the prestigious Eyewitness News brand, now synonymous with news coverage nationwide.

9/11: A Nation Remembers is one of two Jonathan Hyman exhibitions being presented on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the attacks. In New York City, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation is presenting an exhibition of 63 of Jonathan Hyman's photographs: 9/11 and the American Landscape. Opening on Friday, September 8, the exhibition will be on view on the 45th Floor of World Trade Center 7, overlooking Ground Zero.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia's Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. Opened on July 4, 2003, the Constitution Center is a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, "Freedom Rising". The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education and debates, and is a partner of NPR's "Justice Talking," a program of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Also, serving as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents - without endorsement - programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org

Contacts:

Denise Venuti Free
Director of Public Relations
215.409.6636
dvfree@constitutioncenter.org

Ashley Berke
Public Relations Coordinator
215.409.6693
aberke@constitutioncenter.org

(National Constitution Center)