The idea for "Healing Arts: 9/11 Through the Eyes of Children," a planned collection of children’s artistic responses to the Sept. 11 disaster, came to Amanda Louie at the Cantor Fitzgerald memorial ceremony.
"At the memorial, each person was given a piece of art done by a child," explained Louie, a 30-year-old former Hoboken resident. She had worked at Fitzgerald previous to the tragedy and lost a number of friends. From the windows of the World Financial Center across the street from the World Trade Center, Louie watched the cataclysm take place until her office was evacuated. One of the motivations for the art book project is to help Louie and others to get over the tremendous loss.
"This project is intended as a vehicle for healing," Louie said.
Louie was moved by the child’s artwork she received at the memorial, so much so that she framed it. "The drawing was from an 8-year-old expressing her sympathy," Louie said. "The little girl even included her phone number in case I needed someone to talk to."
After the memorial, Louie began to do research on schools and organizations that could contribute to her volume. She also put up the web site for the project, sept11healingarts.com. The site, complete with homepage and contact information, gives the requirements for submissions and states proceeds from the publication will go to the Children’s Aid Society WTC and Cantor Fitzgerald Relief funds.
The requirements are simple: contributors must be 18 years or younger, include a completed Permission Form and Parent/Guardian Consent Form, and all submissions be either an expression of the artist’s feelings about 9/11, an inspirational message to the families of victims, or aspirations for the future. In addition, the deadline for submissions is July 31, 2002. Permission forms and all artwork should be sent to A. Louie, Canal Street Station, P.O. Box 977, New York, N.Y. 10013.
Louie’s efforts also got an international boost when the Italian magazine "Easy Milan" ran an article on the project.
"It took a long time after Sept. 11 to get things going," said Louie. "After the towers fell, the post office at the WTC was closed. I had to get a post office box at the Canal Street Station and there was a huge waiting list."
Once Louie acquired a P.O. box, she began contacting school principals and art teachers. The response was good, according to Louie, adding she received e-mail responses and artwork. One contribution, a simple picture of children’s hands joined on a globe of the Earth, was done by a girl named Gabrielle from Massapequa, N.Y. A second, more elaborate drawing by an 18 year-old named Laura, shows firemen working in the ruins of the Twin Towers.
"A couple of children even sent me Mass cards and thank you notes," Louie added.
Running through all the compositions Louie has received so far has been a sense of both solitude and sadness coupled with expressions of love and a desire for world unity.
"Children cannot fully express what they feel about events like this," said Louie. "Art therapy is a good way to begin the healing process."
Once the July 31 deadline for contributions has passed, Louie will begin to contact publishers. She would like to have "Healing Arts: 9/11 Through the Eyes of Children" published in time for the one year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack.
"The survivors and the people who lost love ones that I have spoken to think the project is a great idea," said Louie, adding her hope that the book will contribute to helping everyone get over the tragedy.