The Clearing

The Clearing is the permanent memorial for the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting. Set in a rural context, the design favors simplicity and elevates ecology, allowing for the dynamics of seasonality and nature to interact with the processes of memory, trauma, and healing. Visitors may choose their own way among a network of paths towards a collective center. Here, surrounded by the victims’ names and a pool of water, is the “Sacred Sycamore”. This brave gesture is fragile in that it requires nourishment to persist. It is also resilient, encouraging us to remember the victims’ lives, not their death.