WILLIAMSBURG – On Friday, Sept. 11, William & Mary’s Muscarelle Museum hosts an open house in recognition of the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with activities and guided tours of its special exhibition, “Forever Marked By The Day: A Quarter Century of Mourning and Renewal.”
The exhibition – which opened on June 26, and continues through Jan. 3, 2027 – traces the history of the World Trade Center with an architectural perspective, from the construction of the twin towers to the site’s reconstruction following the attacks.
According to co-curator and the Muscarelle’s Curator of Architecture, Photography and European Art, Adriano Marinazzo, the exhibition is particularly important as many students only remember 9/11 through classroom materials.
“I hope the students get how you can redesign a city after a tragedy, after this overwhelming destruction,” he said. “The exhibition is more about creativity overcoming destruction, good overcoming bad.”
Among the thousands of lives lost on 9/11 were seven William & Mary alumni.
The open house will also feature a Memory Scroll where visitors can leave notes, sketches or personal tributes, along with a paper-lantern craft activity.
The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. and is open to the public, no registration required.
There will be three 30-minute guided tours. The noon tour will be led by David Brashear, the Muscarelle’s director and chief curator; the 1 p.m. tour will be led by a docent guide; and the 2 p.m. tour will be led by Marinazzo.
“We hope to remember what happened, honoring people that are not here anymore, and give a message of hope, of creativity, of beauty,” Marinazzo said.
