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Artist Information: John Van Alstine
Memorial for 9/11, 2002
by John Van Alstine

The location of the fourth stone sculpture is the northwest corner of Lincoln Park and Ackerman Boulevard in Kettering. The 26,600 pound sculpture is a memorial to September 11, 2001 by Wells, New York, artist John Van Alstine. The committee agreed with the importance of finding a permanent location for this monument within the Government Center area. The location of Lincoln Park Civic Commons, within close proximity of the Kettering Government Center and the Fraze Pavilion, was designed to house public sculpture throughout. Another CitySites project by artist Barry Gunderson is seen within a few yards of this corner as well. The corner includes a gathering and sitting plaza for the monument to allow future reflection and meditation of September 11. The sculpture itself is a solar calendar which will allow solar noon sun to line up with the stylus on the face of the monument each year on September 11. To obtain this result, the location and placement of the sculpture was crucial. This corner will serve as a formal eastern entrance to Lincoln Park as well as tie the paver's design from the west side of the park into the far east end. Many locations discussed provided the necessary strong southern solar exposure, however, the precise global positioning set the stone at an awkward angle for viewing. The northwest corner of this intersection provides the perfect location. The dedication of this piece was held on September 11, 2003, and includes a paved plaza surrounding the sculpture. Named the Seitz Plaza, this area was donated by the Seitz family through the Kettering Community Foundation.

John Van Alstine is a professional sculptor living in Wells, New York. John uses stone as a found object and makes minor adjustments to the original shape to integrate steel or wood into the form. He received a Masters of Fine Arts Degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1976 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, in 1974.

He has received numerous awards, fellowship grants and honors for his work from private and public sources as well as internationally. His work is among public and private collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. His book has been published illustrating the sculpture and progress over the years entitled Bones of the Earth, Spirit of the Land written by Nick Capasso. His work has been displayed in solo exhibitions, both domestically and in international galleries since 1976.