Reminder: Dedication Ceremony for the Fallen Heroes Memorial Plaza

On Friday September 11th at 5:30pm the public is invited to attend a dedication ceremony for the Fallen Heroes Memorial Plaza located in Cherry Hill Park at 1525 E. Hazel Avenue. This impressive memorial is a project sponsored by the Coeur d’Alene Rotary Club and the Coeur d’Alene Parks Foundation. These organizations as well as the Coeur d’Alene Police and Fire Department have participated in fundraising efforts to complete the Memorial Plaza. The Fallen Heroes Plaza site is linked with the 911 memorial Playground to emphasize the community service nature of law enforcement and firefighting.

The Memorial hosts five sculptures of public safety officers which are twelve feet high. Regional artist Brian Schmid will be joining law enforcement and fire fighters as we celebrate the dedication of the Plaza. Brian shared his artistic intent behind the impressive sculptures he created, in his statement of “The sculptures are formally called "open form." That means they are meant to be seen through and combine themselves with their surroundings. I chose this format for the main reason that these figures are being represented by illustrating their souls. Some generally associate this aspect of ourselves as transparent, universal, enduring and eternal. Additionally, for some, this description even transmits itself throughout our universe and applies to everything contained in it. I have tried to use this idea as direct metaphors to the figures themselves. Also, I chose Rebar as my medium for portions of this same description.

Given the above, my intent was to symbolize not only fire fighters and policemen of Coeur d' Alene, but to possibly transmit itself as a universal statement to all fire fighters and policemen, both living and passed on. For, unfortunately, what is being visually described not only by the sculptures, but the memorial as a whole, applies itself not to Idaho, but everywhere”.
Coeur d’Alene Police Officer Mike Kralicek will have the ribbon cutting honor of opening the memorial to the public. Please plan on joining us for this important event.

For more information contact Sergeant Christie Wood, Public Information Officer, Coeur d’Alene Police Department at 769-2320.