Panelists on stage at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. A bright blue screen sits behind them, with the social media icons for Twitter and Facebook and the text hashtag 911 Ed Talk superimposed on it.
Photo by David E. Starke

Upcoming Public Programs

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s public programs explore a range of topics reflecting on the ongoing impacts and continued resonance of the attacks, their historical context, and their aftermath.

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Faces of Ground Zero: A Conversation with Joe McNally
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET

Award-winning photographer Joe McNally’s "Faces of Ground Zero: Portraits of the Heroes of September 11, 2001" is comprised of 246 large-scale polaroids featuring individuals who responded to 9/11 and contributed to the rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. A cross-section of these responder portraits will be on view in the Museum beginning this November. In conversation with Executive Vice President of Collections & Chief Curator Dr. Jan Ramirez, McNally will discuss his undertaking of this project in the emotional weeks following the attacks, how this medium served to uniquely capture this community, and his own experience interacting with those at the heart of this tragedy. 
 
This program is presented as a complement to the Museum’s exhibition Faces of Ground Zero. The exhibition will be on view starting late November 2024.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
The Artistic Crime of the Century: A Conversation with Philippe Petit
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET

Fifty years ago, French high-wire artist Philippe Petit captured headlines around the world when he pulled off what became known as the “artistic crime of the century,” performing a tightrope balancing act between the Twin Towers. A quarter mile into the sky, Petit walked and performed his way between the two skyscrapers, without a net, for 45 minutes. This act made him a celebrity and shined a spotlight on the World Trade Center only a year after it was dedicated. In conversation with Museum Director Clifford Chanin, Petit reflects on the World Trade Center, his iconic performance, and its legacy half a century later.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Intersections: Jazz and 9/11
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET

September 11, 2001 was the first day of classes for students at The Juilliard School. Among them were Dominick Farinacci, jazz trumpeter and composer, Erica Von Kleist, saxophonist and educator, and Ulysses Owens, drummer and percussionist, all members of the school’s inaugural jazz studies program. That morning, students emerged from practice rooms with orders to evacuate, and in the following days and weeks, the arts served as the backdrop for the community as they gathered to cope with the trauma of the attacks.

In collaboration with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, 9/11 Memorial & Museum President & CEO Beth Hillman is joined by these musicians and Loren Schoenberg, NJMH Senior Scholar, to reflect on 9/11, its impact on these college students and on the jazz community, and the power of music in times of tragedy.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s programs are made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

2023 Public Program Highlight Reel

Public Programs Highlight Reel 2023_Captioned