On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, a commemorative public art installation titled “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor” was unveiled in the skies over New York Harbor, marking a free public act of reflection and unity designed with the voices of the 9/11 family, survivor, and responder community.
The aerial artwork featured 2,977 individual lights rising over New York Harbor to rebuild the Twin Towers at full architectural scale, with one light dedicated to each life lost on September 11, 2001. According to creative director and executive producer Addison Mehr, the purpose of the project is to acknowledge individual loss within the collective history and memory of the day by holding witness for each individual life through an exact count of lights. The installation was produced by Addison Mehr and Sky Elements, with federal and city permitting, safety, and security operations led by IDEKO, according to project disclosures.
The production is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization founded in 1971. Funding came entirely from private philanthropy and in-kind contributions, with major support provided by The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, 9/11 family members, The Blavatnik Family Foundation, and additional support from Pershing Square Philanthropies.
Design and Artistic Collaboration Behind the Aerial Tribute
The installation was shaped by a collective of voices from the 9/11 community, including Brenda Berkman (FDNY first responder and artist), Tim Brown (FDNY first responder from 1993 and 2001), Terry Strada (family member of Tom Strada and President of 9/11 Families United), Jim Smith (family member of NYPD’s Moira Smith), and Genevieve Siller (daughter of Stephen Siller). Members of the group noted that no single individual can speak for everyone affected.
Designed in dialogue with the iconic “Tribute in Light,” the artwork suspends 2,977 individual lights in the night sky as a breathing constellation. The lights gathered in a helix, swirling upward before assembling into the Twin Towers at full architectural scale. According to the project’s background, this helix intentionally recalls the THINK team’s World Cultural Center—an unbuilt proposal for the rebuilt World Trade Center featuring open latticework towers rising around and above the original footprints without touching them.
The creative collective and production team also included designer Yan Paul Dubbelman, artistic advisors Studio Drift, and architects Shigeru Ban and Dean Maltz. The visual display was accompanied by a recorded musical score featuring works by Philip Glass, Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight” from The Blue Notebooks, and John Adams’s “On The Transmigration of Souls,” which was originally written for the victims of 9/11.
Did You Know? The helix formation in “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor” directly references the THINK team’s unbuilt World Cultural Center proposal, bringing a civic and cultural latticework vision back into the air above the harbor.
Reflections from the 9/11 Community and Producers
Community members and organizers emphasized the tribute’s focus on remembrance and education, particularly for younger generations. Twenty-five years after the attacks, an estimated 100 million Americans possess no personal memory of September 11, 2001, according to artist and responder Brenda Berkman, who expressed hope that the tribute would help convey understanding to that new generation.
Tim Brown stated that he helped design the installation to honor innocent victims and 343 FDNY heroes, specifically noting his brothers Chris Blackwell of Rescue 3, Terry Hatton of Rescue 1, and Michael Lynch of Ladder 4. Terry Strada noted that the lights serve to remind a new generation of both the losses suffered and the national unity forged in the aftermath. Jim Smith of the NYPD emphasized the enduring bonds of the New York community, while Rick Boss, CEO of Sky Elements, and Evan Korn, CEO and co-founder of IDEKO, highlighted the tribute’s role in honoring survivors, families, and those lost both on that day and in the years since.
Expert Insight: Public art projects of this scale require intricate coordination between municipal agencies, private philanthropy, and affected families. By utilizing drone technology to physically map the exact architectural footprint of the Twin Towers in light, the installation bridges traditional commemorative practices with modern technological mediums.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor”?
It is a free commemorative public art installation unveiled on September 9, 2026, featuring 2,977 individual drone-lifted lights that rose over New York Harbor to rebuild the Twin Towers at full architectural scale.
Who funded and produced the installation?
The production was funded entirely through private philanthropy and in-kind contributions. Major support was provided by The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, 9/11 family members, The Blavatnik Family Foundation, and Pershing Square Philanthropies, with production led by Addison Mehr and Sky Elements.
Who was involved in designing the tribute?
The project was shaped by a collective including Brenda Berkman, Tim Brown, Terry Strada, Jim Smith, and Genevieve Siller, alongside creative director Addison Mehr, designer Yan Paul Dubbelman, artistic advisors Studio Drift, and architects Shigeru Ban and Dean Maltz.
How do community-led art installations like this shape the way younger generations understand historical events?
Related reading