By Sarah Yuster

A yearly 9/11 remembrance for my hometown Staten Island NYC – 90-second video

In 1985, as a very young artist in my twenties, I painted the vista from Staten Island’s hilly North Shore overlooking New York Harbor towards Manhattan. It sold in reproduction for years, even more so after the attacks on 9/11.

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Alternately constrained and rent by grief, disbelief, fear, rage and soaring empathy for the victims and their loved ones, none of us knew where to go. One tangible location for many was that spot on Victory Boulevard with its’ unique view of the skyline. People gathered there for days to look, understand, and verify.

“Twenty-Nine Years” is an acknowledgment of our communal trauma, its aftermath, and collective long view.

Staten Island lost over 270 people on September 11th, nearly 80 of them first responders, so many from my immediate neighborhood.

I had concerns about appearing mawkish, but as the creator of “Victory Boulevard at Dawn” painted many years earlier, depicting our altered skyline from the same vantage point was a natural progression.

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About Sarah Yuster

Sarah Yuster is Staten Island, New York City painter known for her urban landscapes and insightful portraits.

Yuster’s perspective embraces the vortex. Her particular ability to convey atmosphere, air, and subtle light, results in paintings that nail a moment, flash a glimpse or hint at a mystery. Yuster’s work has been exhibited at the Museum of American Art, Nat’l Academy of Design, Biggs Museum of American Art, NYC galleries, and hangs in institutions and corporate headquarters throughout the metropolitan area. Her artwork is displayed beyond the US border in the UK, Continental Europe, Japan, and Thailand.

Her pre 9/11 NYC skyline piece, Victory Boulevard at Dawn is an iconic view of lower Manhattan from the crest of a hill on Staten Island overlooking the harbor. The World Trade Center eclipses a section of sunrise hues, pre-dawn North Shore traffic sparse in the foreground. “The image now has new meaning, magnified by history, pain and the spirit of remembrance.”