For years, Artist Suse Lowenstein has her opened her lovely secluded home and sculpture garden each day, right here in Montauk, for visitor to experience her very personal work of art-DARK ELEGY. Inspired by the loss of her eldest son in the tragedy of Pan Am flight 103, from London to NY that went down over Lockerhie, Scotland in an act of terrorism; this exhibit is a memorial to all those who lost their lives to terrorism.
Over the past few years I have had a number of conversations with Mrs. Lowen stein and she’s shared stories and memories of using her talent as a sculptor to help her grieve the loss of her eldest son Alexander and the 270 people lost their lives on that day. If you have ever visited her garden at 11East Lake Dr., which is open daily from 10am-12pm and have viewed the 76 larger than life figures of women in poses as unique as their reactions to their individual loss, you know how powerful this exhibit is. If you speak with Mrs. Lowen stein she can tell stories of the people represented by each sculpture in the garden all surviving relatives of the passengers on flight 103. However, it’s not just an amazing work of art and memorial to that one flight, but it depicts raw emotions shared by all surviving member of any act of terrorism.
Mrs. Lowenstein wish is for the sculptures to be more readily available for the Montauk community and its visitors to experience. She has been looking for a permanent home for her sculpture garden and is presently working with the East Hampton town board to get permission to place them in Kirk Park. If you haven’t had a chance to see this amazing work of art, you should take time to view it yourself before any decision is made by the town about the placement in Montauk. The Lowenstein’s have the funds set aside to cast the sculptures in bronze using a process that will also add a protective layer making them stain resistant and requires no maintenance. The statues will be placed further apart so you walk through the exhibit making it more of a sculpture garden. The Lowenstein’s also have offered to add landscaping to separate the exhibit from the rest of the property.
As is true with any memorial, this exhibit is an important reminder of the lives that have been lost through the growing number of terrorist acts our country has experienced. It is a wonderful work of art which inspires empathy, emotion and reflection, and should be viewed as such.
