Artists Interpret Sept. 11 in Local Exhibit

Penn State Lehigh Valley opened a special exhibition, Reaction and Healing: The Tenth Anniversary of 9-11, which will be on display through Oct. 21.

The work of seven professional artists with international exhibition experience was selected, said Ann Lalik, the gallery's director and arts coordinator.

“We have several mediums -- paper, bronze, fiber, paint and pastel. It’s a combination of medium, politics, art and spirituality.”

 “I felt each of their statements about how and why they express themselves was significant.”

The artists include Denise Bankuti of Burbank, Calif., Kathy Levine of Brooklyn, NY., Patricia Dahlman of Lyndhurst, NJ; Beth Krensky of Salt Lake City, Utah; Marjorie Morrow of New York City; Katie Samuelson of Cheshire, Conn. and David Wander of New York City.

Lalik said the images and expression “confronts the participant in a very different way, demanding an immediate reaction whether you want to recognize it or not.” She said the images themselves evoke thoughts not only of the attacks but the impact they had on those who experienced and survived the attacks. 

Lalik said she cannot mention the exhibit without having the person with whom she is speaking tell her about where they were and what they were doing at the time of the attack. The exhibit has spurred a campuswide discussion on 9/11 and tolerance among its diverse community, which includes many Muslim students from Middle Eastern countries.

“I think, specifically at a college campus, it is very relevant to do an exhibit on 9/11. . . These students were only in grade school at the time of the attacks. Their whole perception of national security and safety is so different from our perception as adults," Lalik said.