The January 8th Memorial
January 8, 2011
It is a day that will forever be etched into the memory of our community, our state, and our nation. On that Saturday morning at 10:10 am, nineteen people were shot by a lone gunman, as they gathered at a Safeway store on the corner of Ina and Oracle in northwest Tucson. They were there to speak with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a “Congress on your Corner” event. The shootings wounded thirteen and killed six individuals who were participating in a fundamental act of democracy.
The Embrace memorial is a tribute of remembrance and a tribute of hope. We come to the memorial to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those who were changed forever. May all who visit know the impact of violence and may this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity, and remind us of how the people of Southern Arizona came together in the aftermath of this attack.
Our community banded together to honor the victims and survivors, comfort their families and show unity in the face of violence. This memorial is a symbol of the love and “embrace” of our community on January 8, 2011, and the days that followed.
The Memorial
This memorial represents the loving, embracing arms of the community that came together to honor the victims and survivors of January 8, 2011, comfort their families and show unity in the face of violence. From the first responders, to medical staff, to the public, the Southern Arizona community responded with compassion and generosity. The location of the memorial, at the civic center of Pima County, celebrates the importance of our civil society, and honors our rich history in El Presidio Park. It is a place of remembrance, reflection and inspiration.
The January 8th Memorial Foundation expresses gratitude to the many individuals who responded with donations, ideas and other support in developing this memorial.
The memorial was designed by Chee Salette, Architect and Landscape Architect, and Rebeca Méndez (Visual Artist), with Jackie Kain (Historian), a.g. Licht (Lighting Designer), Fluidity (Water Feature Consultant), Schneider Structural Engineers, GLHN (Civil and Electrical Engineer) and Horticulture Unlimited.
Renderings by Chee Salette
The Symbols
Symbols and pictographs, still visible in the canyons and cliffs of our region, tell the stories of the Hohokam and Tohono O’odham people who first inhabited the land. The January 8th Memorial proudly pays tribute to this rich heritage by incorporating in its design 110 symbols that invite your memories and reflections.
Thirty-two of the symbols represent the history and natural beauty of the region and 78 reflect the individuals who were wounded or killed on January 8, 2011. All of the images were designed after extensive interviews with family and friends of the victims and from survivors and with a wide range of individuals and organizations representing various interests and groups in the community. Collectively, the symbols honor the fierce spirit of our community that was exhibited in the wake of the shootings and has long been the hallmark of our region.
The images, just like ancient pictographs, evoke emotion and memory and are intended to inspire your own stories and reflections. A central, unifying image of the Memorial design is an “infinity” symbol that we named “Embrace.” The curving lines of the image evoke the “8” of the date of the tragedy, the bracelet of mountains that surround Tucson and the warm and caring embrace of the community in the wake of this tragic event.
The historical symbols represent significant events and environmental wonders that have informed the history of Southern Arizona. These symbols are accompanied by brief descriptions and additional links to deepen your awareness and understanding of our regional history and to better understand the ways in which conflict, culture and the natural environment have shaped regional character.
The symbols representing the victims and survivors of January 8th reflect the qualities, interests, values and personal characteristics of each of those wounded or killed. These symbols are offered to inspire your own memories, emotions and stories. Gaze on the image of a sweater and you might recall the comfort and warmth our community offered up after the tragedy. Or perhaps the Butterfly image inspires feelings of chrysalis or transformation.
We invite you, as you reflect on the individuals who were killed or wounded, to also let the images weave you into the story of our land. The vocabulary of the various symbols represents each of us, and we invite you to consider which of these symbols speak most directly to you. Let them inspire your imagination, touch your heart and affirm your place in the broad tapestry that has been formed by our shared history, joined us as a community on January 8, 2011, and continues to define and connect us today.
Together We Thrive
This symbol stands for the ‘Together We Thrive’ movement—the community’s response in the days following the shooting, when the outpouring of grief and outrage over the senseless massacre transformed into a solidarity and togetherness felt among the people of Tucson. The two ‘arms’ of the physical memorial mimic the gesture of a loving embrace offering both solace and strength to overcome the devastation. Contained within The Embrace Symbol is the figure eight representing the date of January 8, which on its side references the infinity symbol, reminding us and future generations that through active participation and civic discourse we continuously build a better democracy.
Victims and Survivors
Symbols by artist Rebeca Méndez
The story of the lives lost and people wounded at the hand of a mentally deranged gunman on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, is told through a symbolic language that embodies the values and interests held by each of the six people that died and the thirteen survivors. In addition, there are symbols dedicated to the community of first responders and Tucson’s history.
Together the symbols convey the story of Tucson’s resilience in the face of climate, conquest, segregation, modernization and violence, as well as Tucson’s industrial, technological and cultural accomplishments. The memorial’s symbolic language is directly inspired by the petroglyphs left by the Hohokam in the Sonoran Desert in places like Signal Hill, building upon this history.
Victims
Click on each name for additional information.
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- A WHIZ WITH NEEDLE AND THREAD
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- This symbol stands for the ‘Together We Thrive’ movement—the community’s response in the days following the shooting, when the outpouring of grief and outrage over the senseless massacre transformed into a solidarity and togetherness felt among the people of Tucson. The two ‘arms’ of the physical memorial mimic the gesture of a loving embrace offering both solace and strength to overcome the devastation. Contained within the symbol is the figure eight representing the date of January 8, which on its side references the infinity symbol, reminding us and future generations that through active participation and civic discourse we continuously build a better democracy.
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- Sentinel Peak – Gabe Zimmerman was always active and liked to hike, run and mountain bike in the local mountains. He contributed to the completion of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. A stretch southeast of Tucson has been named Gabriel Zimmerman Davidson Canyon Trailhead.
Survivors
History
The January 8th Memorial uses symbols, inspired by petroglyphs found throughout the southwest, to tell the stories of January 8, 2011, the victims and survivors, and the coming together of the community.
On the path encircling the Memorial are 32 history symbols, whose purpose is to evoke the complex and intertwined stories of the region. These symbols provide a kind of grounding for the events of January 8th within a larger cultural and historical context. The symbols appear atop 32 light fixtures that illuminate the Memorial path.
Photo Gallery
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