Eighty-five artists from around the world submitted proposals to design and construct the December 2 Memorial project.
In May, the December 2 Memorial Committee invited artists, designers and architects locally and internationally to submit their ideas for the memorial which will be located on the east side of the County Government Center in San Bernardino.
The proposals include submissions from Britain, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Spain, China, Korea, Singapore and Argentina as well as from across the United States and San Bernardino County. A mix of young artists and established artists, as well as landscape architects and designers are among those who have applied to design the memorial.
The Board of Supervisors retained Community Arts Inc. to assist the committee in vetting the proposals, and they will present a report for the Memorial Committee to consider at their next meeting on Sept. 5.
The Memorial Committee’s mission statement says the artwork must:
- Permanently honor and celebrate the innocent souls taken from us by a brutal and cowardly act of terror on December 2, 2015 and provide enduring recognition of the County employees who witnessed the attack, many of whom were physically injured and all of whom were spiritually wounded.
- Acknowledge those who bravely and selflessly provided protection, comfort, and support to the loved ones of those who were lost, the wounded, our San Bernardino County Government Family, and our county community on the day of the attack and in the days, weeks, and months that followed.
- Ensure that our efforts focus on life, love, peace, tolerance, and San Bernardino County’s historic and enduring tradition of strength, determination and resiliency.
Five artists will be chosen from the submissions, and selected artists will be commissioned to develop and submit detailed proposals and maquettes. A finalist will then be chosen to produce the memorial.
The December 2 Memorial Committee, led by Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales, is comprised of employees from the Environmental Health Services division and family members of the County employees who were taken from us on that day along with representatives from appropriate County departments