Client: Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City

Location: Johnson County, KS, United States

Completion date: 2016

Artwork budget: $23,000

Project Team

Industry Resource

Paul Martin

Zahner Metal Company

Client

Jill Maidhoff

Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City

Artist

Jesse Small

Overview

This is a memorial for three victims of a hate crime that occurred in April 2014 at the campus of the Jewish Community Center in Kansas City. The three elements of the sculpture represent the three victims whose lives were taken during this act of violence. It is constructed using stainless steel and permanently installed on an existing building on the campus.

Goals

The goal of this sculpture was to offer the community the opportunity to reflect on this tragedy. It transforms this building in a meaningful way and is a testament to how individuals can use the ripples created by a senseless act of violence to grow together as a community. This project met everyone's needs and exceeding all expectations with a fresh, contemporary design that was fabricated with extreme care and perfection throughout.

Process

I worked closely with the family members and the community center's board of directors to come up with a moving design that expressed their feelings. I took the project into production with the Zahner Company in Kansas City; they fabricated and installed the work. All involved were deeply moved by this project.

Additional Information

The dedication of this memorial coincided wth Seven Days 2016, a yearly weeklong series of events created to honor the memory of victims, and create a constructive path forward in rebuilding from this tragedy.