The Sullivan County Legislature cordially invites the public to a presentation, "9/11: What Does It Mean to 'Never Forget' a National Catastrophe?" to be given by Smallwood resident Jonathan Hyman at the beginning of this Thursday's Human Resources Committee meeting at 9 a.m. in the Government Center in Monticello.

Jonathan C. Hyman is a documentary photographer, photojournalist, lecturer, and independent scholar based in Smallwood. His work explores American culture, public memory and memorialization, “place", and the ways people express themselves through photography, art, the written word, and the built environment.

Jonathan is best known for his extensive photographic documentation of heartfelt and personal memorials in the landscape — on cars, barns, flags, bodies and just about everywhere else — surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In addition to his work having been exhibited at national cultural institutions and internationally, he was appointed a United States State Department Cultural Envoy and has presented and lectured in some of Europe’s finest universities.

A large body of his work sits in the in permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at “Ground Zero” in lower Manhattan, and these photographs represent some its institution’s cornerstone material. In addition to being featured on the PBS NewsHour, Hyman's photographs have appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, and other national and international publications. His photographs & writing are featured in the book "The Landscapes of 9/11: A Photographer’s Journey."

A longtime Sullivan County resident, Hyman brings a thoughtful and observant perspective to the people, places, and visual culture that shape American life.

Shannon Perich, Curator of the Smithsonian’s Division of Culture and the Arts, states, “There are bodies of work that document the varied American responses to Vietnam, other wars, and national issues, but none with the same focus on the intersection between national tragedy, personal experience and public expression. Like Alexander Gardner’s Civil War work, Hyman’s is a rare and historically important group of materials that will sit as a central point of departure for September 11th imagery and the understanding of our era.”

WEBSITE: https://jonathanchymanphotographer.com/