ODESSA, Texas —
When it comes to creating a memorial to honor victims and survivors of the August 31st, 2019, mobile mass shooting, Odessa Arts Executive Director Randy Ham says it isn’t something you should just rush to completion.
“We had to make sure that it wasn't just a piece of art that was arbitrarily placed somewhere because we were in a hurry. This was an important piece. We need it to be very thoughtful about the way that it's presented to the community, and we didn't want it in a place that was too distracting,” said Ham.
Ham also says they want it to be thoughtful of the survivors and victims' families, making sure to keep in mind the memorial's location and how easily viewable it is.
“The other thing is we don't want a memorial to retraumatize the people, the survivors or the families of the victims and just be able to turn a corner and accidentally see it and not be prepared for that. So, we wanted to make sure that what we did, we did right,” Ham continued.
Though, West Texas may someday be able to move on from the tragedy, it will by no means ever be forgotten about, especially those who were affected that day by it.
“Normally, when we unveil a piece of public art, it's a joyous occasion. I'm very proud of the artists and the community with this. I still feel that pride, we all still feel that pride, but it's something that I wish we had never had to do in the first place, so I'm glad that we're able to honor the victims that were lost. I'm glad that we're able to honor the survivors,” Ham added.
The actual metal cylinder part of the memorial with victims' names and some heartfelt quotes is finished and is viewable at the UTPB library. Ham says all that's left to finish is the plaza that will surround the memorial.