Sculpture

The Feathers of a Phoenix

Description

Papier-mâché sculpture assemblage titled The Feathers of the Phoenix created by campers at America's Camp in 2006. The piece is based on the story of the phoenix from Greek mythology. The body of the bird is covered in feathers created from children's paintings. The imagery for each "feather" was based on a person the child wished to honor: someone who had supported them or a person of great personal importance. The imagery could be figurative or metaphoric, a name or a phrase. Each "feather" began as a twelve-by-twelve-inch page decorated with watercolor crayons or watercolor pencils. The images were then copied, converted into a feather shape, and attached to the sculpture. The campers' "feathers" were all placed on the underbelly of the phoenix, and the imagery created by the America's Camp staff was placed on the top of the bird. The phoenix also glows in the dark, with a wingspan of fifteen feet.

The artwork also includes a solid white egg, fabricated in the same manner as the phoenix.

Historical Notes

On September 11, 2001, thousands of children suffered the loss of a parent or close relative. Even more came of age in a world shaped by 9/11. Many of these children chose a life of service to honor that missing parent or relative. Others saw the heroism of emergency responders and followed in those footsteps. Each of these children’s journeys was unique, though some of their paths converged. 

They found help from organizations like America’s Camp, which also inspired some of the children to service as teens or adults. Through their many paths over a quarter century, adults who were once children affected by the attacks are now contributing to a vast legacy of service.

This phoenix sculpture symbolizing rebirth was created in 2006 at America’s Camp, a summer camp for children grieving family members killed on 9/11. From 2002 to 2011, the camp welcomed up to 400 children each year, supported by counselors, artists, and therapists. Artistic Director Traci Molloy guided campers in designing feathers across the sculpture. She added feathers on top of the wings created by the staff to reflect the desire she and other adults at the camp felt to protect the children.

To learn more about the phoenix and interact with a digital representation of the sculpture and its individual feathers, please visit the digital interactive site here.