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Memorial Day Marks Anniversary of Iraq Names Project
May 26, 2008 marks the first anniversary of an ongoing art-plus-social awareness project by Nancy Hiss, director of the interior design program at Marylhurst University.
On Memorial Day 2007, Nancy began a memorial for the more than 4,000 coalition forces who have died in Iraq. She was motivated to raise awareness that sacrifice in the Iraq war and occupation has been limited primarily to those in the military and their families. This is a work in progress.
Nancy writes the names of the fallen in chalk on Portland's sidewalks on a daily basis. She has covered over 12 miles of sidewalk, picking up each day where she left off the day before. She has caught up to April and will soon be adding names in real time as coalition forces are killed.
The names are drawn in order of the person's death. She includes their last name, the date of death, and for those Oregonians on the list includes some personal information. Only the last name is written to signify that the sacrifice is by the family as well as the soldier who died.
Public response to Nancy's work is generally positive. Most who comment simply say "Thank you."
Some mistakenly think she is creating graffiti. Then they learn about the project and its intent to serve as a memorial and reminder of the sacrifices made. People coming across Nancy chalking the names on hands and knees volunteer to help and become part of the project.
Nancy notes:
"The concept is so simple it can be explained by a five-year-old. The act is so simple it can be shared by Girl Scouts, eighty-year-old women, students, friends, neighbors, passersby, draft age boys, survivors of Nazi Germany, veterans, everyone. Over 100 people have knelt down with me on the sidewalk to share in this experience. Some people chalk in one name. Some people come back week after week.
"Only last names are written to acknowledge the loss, not just of individuals, but of families. Oregonians are written in white, all other names are written in colors. It is neutral. It is inclusive. It is a way to share in sacrifice. It is an act of peacemaking.
"When it rains the names and dates are washed away, symbolic that these people are gone."
Given the nature of the project, Nancy would like it to end soon. It is a sad endeavor but one that Nancy feels needs to be done so society does not forget that others are making such monumental sacrifices.
Nancy has given presentations about the Iraq Names Project at the Interior Design Educators Council in Montreal last year, at local high schools and at the Portland Community College Sylvania campus.
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