> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Students art work reflects events of September 11th - URL: https://www.smdp.com/students-art-work-reflects-events-of-september-11th/ - Published: 2002-03-01T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T00:04:44.000Z - Author: Andrew Fixmer - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Child’s plea: ‘Heal the world’* The terrorist attacks Sept. 11th in New York and Washington D.C. reached westside children 3,000 miles away, culminating in expressive artwork and poems. Work from students in Santa Monica, Culver City and Los Angeles is currently on display at the Focus Art Gallery in the Santa Monica Place Mall until March 25. The art work, done by students from ages eight to 18, reflects everything from images of the World Trade Center towers to patriotic symbols of American flags and the Statue of Liberty. “It’s time for us to pray for all the thousands we lost that day,” wrote Kenny Cogo, 17, of Culver City High School on September 11th. “We bow our heads down in sorrow, praying for a better tomorrow.” But reflection wasn’t limited to just high school students. Some kindergarten classes had their students draw pictures of what they saw on television and heard at home. Then they were asked to write what they hoped would happen in the future. One child drew a picture of the school he attends with an American flag flying out front and an airplane flying overhead. Underneath that, Jackson Koerber, 8, of Santa Monica wrote, “America is the land of the free and I am glad to be an American. No more wars, no more killing, no more fighting, for we are Americans.” Koerber ended his writing simply with, “Heal the world.” Shortly after the terrorist attacks, Jackie Wolf, the exhibit’s curator, called art teachers at area schools and asked if their students’ work expressed what was going on in current events. Collectively, she gathered over 250 pieces and had to whittle that number down to the 40 that are on display today. “We wanted to show the children’s’ point of view on the events,” Wolf said. “Some of this was done by children the day of the events, and some was done weeks afterwards. But all the pieces really show the impact this had on students.” None of the art work will be sold, and all the pieces will eventually be returned to their creators. However, Wolf said after the exhibit finishes its run in Santa Monica, it may move to a location in San Diego. “Even the little kids did a great job,” Wolf said. The purpose of healing art is to give people who typically do not have a strong voice in the community a chance to express themselves, she said. Her next exhibit will deal with the pressures veterans of the Vietnam War felt when they returned home. “I think art has a way of helping people, both for those who are creating and for those who are just looking,” Wolf said. “It can be a real cathartic experience. It takes us out of our heads and puts us into our hearts.” The Community Focus Gallery is located at the right-hand side of the Third Street entrance of the mall. The space, which is shared with seating from food court restaurants, isn’t very large, but many people pass through it daily. “It might seem strange to have something like this in a mall, but everybody comes through here,” Wolf said. “It opens up this world to people who normally wouldn’t go to a gallery or tourists who are just passing through.” For more information on Healing Art or to find ways you can help, go to www.heal-ingthruart.com. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/030102-03_01.jpg) Student art hangs above the food court area at the Focus Art Gallery in the Santa Monica Place Mall. (Photo: Andrew H. Fixmer/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 1, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/030102.pdf?ref=smdp.com)