ArtsWave Cincinnati
Dear Hero Collection Inspires At 911 Memorial Museum
What were you doing on that horrific morning of September 11, 2001? I think for any of us who are old enough to have comprehended that day, we will never forget.
Tanya Hoggard, a Cincinnati flight attendant, was on a layover in France as the attacks struck the World Trade Center. It was a week later when she was able to return t
o the United States and something inside her compelled her to see the destruction firsthand. Her photography skills helped her grasp the magnitude of what had happened, feel it and begin her healing process.
When Tanya arrived in New York, she knew she had to volunteer at Ground Zero. There she met first responders, listened to their heartwarming and heart wrenching descriptions of letters and artwork received from children around the world – many ad
dressed to ‘Dear Hero’.
“It made my heart race and my eyes water when I saw the healing power these letters and drawings had,” said Tanya. “I watched children unknowingly become heroes to their heroes. I decided that this emotion needed to be captured and cherished.”
She realized that these innocent letters would soon become a poignant part of a day that changed America forever. Tanya’s mission began, and to date, the “Dear Hero” collection has garnered more than three tons of history and memorabilia. The Dear Hero Collection has been donated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City and stands on the spot of the former World Trade Center.
“What these children wrote is a part of history. Teachers are using it for education. Other museums worldwide will borrow from it. It’s where it belongs. With any luck the children who created it will be able to see it and learn how inspiring they were to the rest of us,” Tanya said.
Thanks Tanya…for reminding us, that even amidst life’s darkest tragedies there is inspiration to be learned at the hearts and hands of everyday heroes.
ArtsWave Cincinnati Holding Amazing Arts Race
ArtsWave announces the Amazing Arts Race, a creative scavenger hunt for young professionals in downtown Cincinnati, will be held Saturday, April 13. Registration is now open at www.amazingartsrace.com. The Amazing Arts Race is generously sponsored by the Taft Museum of Art with support of The Thomas J. Emery Memorial and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This event supports ArtsWave’s annual community campaign for the arts which runs through April 30.
In an event inspired by the hit reality TV series The Amazing Race, teams will race to complete a series of arts challenges in Downtown Cincinnati including finding works of art and architecture, answering arts trivia, and making art themselves. Teams and organizers will use Twitter to obtain clues and complete some tasks. From origami to charades to dance breaks, these fun challenges will stretch team members’ creativity. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place teams in addition to random prize drawings.
“Last year, GE Aviation organized an arts scavenger hunt for young professionals at their company,” says Jared Queen, Campaign Manager at ArtsWave and Amazing Arts Race coordinator. “Our ArtsWave Young Professionals group loved the idea and decided this year to scale it up to an event for teams from all across the region.” Teams will move around downtown by foot and/or by car to different arts organizations and works of public art. Running gear is not required, as creativity will be as important as speed.
ArtsWave partner companies are encouraged to form teams of 2 to 4 people, but the event is open to all young professionals. Individuals interested in being paired with a team can contact Jared directly at jared.queen@theartswave.org.
Registration is $10 per person and can be completed online at www.amazingartsrace.com. Deadline to register is April 7. Teams will be notified by email and twitter of the race starting point the week of April 8.
