Dayton artists selected for Oregon District 8/4 Memorial

· Terry Welker, FAIA: architect/sculptor, team leader

· Sierra Leone: poet, teaching artist, community organizer

· Jes McMillan: artist, community builder, The Mosaic Institute

· James Pate: artist, designer, community builder

The team has a budget of $200,000 for the completion of the memorial, expected to be finished by Aug. 4, 2024, the fifth anniversary of the tragedy.

Within the project, duties will be divided into five components: poem, mosaic, sculpture, bench and plantings.

Chosen from a pool of 39 proposals across the country, five semi-finalists were selected through the Request for Qualifications process that was managed by The Contemporary Dayton. Each artist/artist team selected developed and presented full proposals. The winning team was selected based on feedback from the community, the art jurors, and the 8/4 Memorial Committee.

“This memorial will be an important step in the healing process as we remember those who were lost and grieve with those who were affected by this tragedy in the heart of our community,” said Sandy Hunt, Memorial Co-Chair, in a news release.

Funding for the 8-4 Memorial is possible thanks to the support from the CareSource Foundation, City of Dayton, Conor Group Kids & Community Partners, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Kettering Health Network, Montgomery County, Premier Health, Sinclair College, University of Dayton, and donations from the Gem City Shine hosted by Dave Chappelle.

If you would like to donate to the Memorial Fund for the Oregon District at The Dayton Foundation, visit https://bit.ly/3QkoUJR. Funds will be used for ongoing maintenance and other related expenses.

For additional information, visit https://www.8-4memorial.com/.