Mayor Thomas Menino, acting Gov. Jane Swift and other city officials attended a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday for the “Garden of Peace,” which will be created for homicide victims.
The garden will be a sanctuary of solace to the living victims of tragic crimes. It will serve as a reminder of the number of people whose lives were lost by violence and the continuing efforts to eliminate violence and encourage peace.
The “Garden of Peace” is approximately 7,000 square feet and will be included in the renovation of the Saltonstall state office building at 100 Cambridge St. It is scheduled to be completed during the spring of 2003.
The “Garden of Peace” was originally established by members of Parents of Murdered Children and soon gained the support of statewide groups, individuals and public officials, according to a statement. It was created by Boston artists Catherine Melina and Judy Kensley McKie, and is intended to depict the various stages of grief, healing and hope.
“I wanted to create a monument that will be uplifting and positive — a universal symbol of the transformation that is possible,” McKie said.
The memorial features a granite orb, symbolizing the sadness and grief buried in the hearts of those who have lost a love one. In addition, there will be a dry riverbed with homicide victims’ names engraved on smooth river stones.
Along the path, the dry riverbed turns into a trickle of water, which is intended to express that life is an ongoing process with many possibilities.
The memorial culminates at the “Ibis Ascending,” indicating a burst of life, which stems from the pool and includes three ibises rising to the sky. Ibises, a type of heron, were also considered Egyptian gods.
McKie, the sculptor of “Ibis Ascending,” explained she wanted to create something positive for the memorial.
“The image of ascending birds is meant to send a message of hope. It should convey the idea that out of pain and suffering come hope and the possibility of a better future,” she said.
Major supporters of the memorial include the Massachusetts Development and Finance Agency and Boston Fund of the Arts, as well as a number of other foundations and individual donors. The names of these major donors will be permanently inscribed on a granite wall within the garden.
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