An Artful 9/11 Connection in Middletown

"It's hard to believe ten years have passed," said Nick Miller of Hazlet, "because the pain and sadness was so deep, the effects on our lives so constant ..."

Miller stopped in at the Middletown Arts Center (MAC) for the Aug. 25 opening of A Community Connected, an art exhibit presented to honor the tenth anniversary of 9/11. 

Middletown lost 37 of its residents — more than any other suburb in the United States — to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.

"I didn't personally know anyone who died on 9/11 and I'm not even from Middletown," Miller said.  "But in a way, I feel like I lost someone very close to me ... like someone in my family ... like some part of myself ... and it's events like these that help us experience the loss and hopefully some day move on ... but never forget."

The pieces included in A Community Connected, a juried exhibit, are intended to display patriotism, hope, connectedness and growth over the years since the tragedy. The exhibition will be on view Thursday, Aug. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 25.