FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2021
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Press Contact: Ellen Anderson, Director of Development
860.443.2545 ext. 2136 / [email protected]
LYMAN ALLYN TO HOLD COMMEMORATION IN MCCOURT 9/11 MEMORIAL GARDEN
NEW LONDON – To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum will hold a gathering for community members on Friday, Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m., in the McCourt 9/11 Memorial Garden on the Museum grounds. The ceremony will honor all 9/11 victims, especially former New London residents, Ruth McCourt and her daughter, Juliana, who were aboard United Flight 175, which struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Ruth McCourt and her mother, Paula Clifford Scott, were members of the New London Garden Club and avid gardeners, so a garden in memory of the mother and daughter and all the victims of 9/11 was created in tribute to them. Members of the New London Garden Club, the New London Police Department and the New London Fire Department worked together to develop the concept and construct the McCourt 9/11 Memorial Garden.
The commemoration will include an invocation by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, senior minister of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation in New London. Mayor Michael Passero will also speak. A reception will be held afterward in the Museum’s Hendel Library. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held inside the museum.
“We are honored to have the McCourt 9/11 Memorial Garden on our Museum grounds,” said Lyman Allyn Art Museum Director Sam Quigley. “Situated in the glen and surrounding the historic Deshon-Allyn House, it is a calm and beautiful setting that all visitors are welcome to enjoy.”
In addition to the ceremony, visitors will be invited to write messages of remembrance and hope on commemorative ribbons which will be displayed in the garden throughout the weekend. Ribbons and writing supplies will be provided at the Museum’s front desk during operating hours from Friday through Sunday, Sept. 10–12.
Ruth McCourt was an active member of the Lyman Allyn Art Museum and Juliana was a student at the Museum’s Children’s Dance Center, which was why the Memorial Garden Committee decided to create this meaningful tribute on the Museum’s grounds. The garden features a picturesque bridge, lovely plantings, a terrace and children’s picnic area, and a grassy performance area.
About the Lyman Allyn Art Museum
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum welcomes visitors from New London, southeastern Connecticut and all over the world. Established in 1926 by a gift from Harriet Upson Allyn in memory of her seafaring father, the Museum opened the doors of its beautiful neo-classical building, surrounded by 12 acres of green space, in 1932. Today, it presents a number of changing exhibitions each year and houses a fascinating collection of over 17,000 objects from ancient times to the present, including artwork from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, with particularly strong collections of American paintings and decorative arts.
Located at 625 Williams Street, New London, Connecticut, exit 83 off I-95, the Lyman Allyn Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm; Sunday, 1:00–5:00 pm; closed Monday and major holidays. For more information call 860.443.2545, ext. 2129 or visit us at: www.lymanallyn.org.