Sandra Priest
Who is Sandra Priest?
Sandra (San) Priest
Legacy Artist & Founder of Project 911UP. Shown the first day she saw the Slurry Wall Concrete on a frosty day in Northampton, PA, December 16, 2010. She came prepared with many different cameras to record history and dressed in her favorite North Face coat that has traveled all over the world from 2004 to present day. She was alone with the 8 ton blocks, using Bluetooth switches photographing herself. San is an acclaimed American legacy artist and sculptor who transforms authentic pieces of Ground Zero history into powerful national memorials. Based in St. James City, Florida, she is the only artist commissioned to sculpt original concrete sections salvaged from the 7-story underground slurry wall (the ``Bathtub``) that surrounded the World Trade Center twin towers. Through her vision, these 16,000-pound artifacts are turned into breathtaking historical monuments, allowing people across the country a tactile space to heal, reflect, and remember.
Born in 1956 and raised in Indiana, Sandra developed a deep appreciation for Midwestern values, community solidarity, and American sense of pride and appreciating history. Her father Steve Orosz was a stone mason, expert bricklayer and a concrete finisher. Sans’ mother Millie, was a talented musician that couldn’t read a note music but played piano and guitar by ear, wrote her own songs and sang them too. It’s no wonder San is working with stone and concrete today like her father. He used to also paint in oils in his workshop in their basement, all the while yelling at San and her siblings to stop running around with their dog Barney above his head so he could paint in peace!
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- Artistic Foundations: A professional artist since 1996, San studied under Dr. Lilliana Dordevich in Melbourne, Florida, and pursued Art History at Edison College in Fort Myers.
- Diverse Mastery: Before focusing on historic monument sculpture, she built a reputable career in high-end commercial and residential art. Her portfolio includes extensive canvas work and massive installations, such as a 1,600-square-foot ceiling mural and various elaborate gold leaf and jeweled paintings for the Hindu Temple of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, an underwater mural at the Charlotte Harbor Events and Conference Center and estate homes in Naples, Florida.
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The Birth of Project 911UP
The catalyst for Sandra’s historical work occurred just two days after September 11, 2001. Stuck in a slow-moving traffic jam while driving from Florida to Indiana due to national airspace grounding, she observed the surrounding roadside materials and infrastructure. Seeing hundreds of concrete pipes, lined up on the side of the roadway, reminded her of a spine’s vertebrae. The traffic was almost vascular, moving along at a slow and steady pace reminiscent of blood flow. At that moment, San knew she needed to make 9/11 memorials to represent the flow of moving forward at a steady pace. The concrete represented the backbone of our nation and the movement of steady traffic as our life blood which must move always move forward towards a healing for our nation.
In 2007, she debuted her first concrete monument prototype at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas. Her concept evolved entirely in 2010 when she partnered with IMPACT ENVIRONMENTAL to rescue 17 massive sections of the original World Trade Center slurry wall, officially launching Project 911UP.
Notable Works and National Footprint
Sandra’s sculptures have established a nationwide circle of remembrance, bridging the geographical gap for millions of Americans who may never visit New York, Virginia, or Pennsylvania. Each piece utilizes the literal foundation of the Twin Towers to foster localized healing.
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- Victorii Rebuild (Bethlehem, PA): Carved from an eight-ton segment of the slurry wall, this sculpture carries added historic weight, as the sand and stone used to build the original 1968 World Trade Center foundation slurry wall were originally sourced from this exact region of Pennsylvania.
- Utah Fallen Warrior Memorial (Salt Lake City, UT) Placed on the grounds of the Fort Douglas National Military Museum and was received by then Governor Herbert. It honors fallen soldiers from the Gulf War to present day. Parklike setting with Gazebo.
- Socratic Way (Oregon State University): An interactive installation encased in glass at OSU’s Memorial Union Hall, serving as an educational anchor for younger generations of students. Accepted by then President Ed Ray.
- Siller 11 (Mobile Exhibit): A portable monument gifted to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, travelling the country on their mobile museum tour.
- Gold Star 11 (Winthrop Harbor, IL) Placed next to the Vietnam memorial Gold Star 11 is to honor all Gold Star military families.
- Rescue 11 (Key West, FL): This memorial is prominently featured at the historic Old Alex Vega Firehouse Museum to honor first responders. It sits outside within reach of a walk by under a beautiful tree. It has become part of the famous Conch Tour Train talks.
- Blue Freedom (Key West, FL American Legion): The Blue Freedom sits at the American Legion in Key West. It represents the honorary service our troops sacrifice to make sure we are all safe.
- Blue Freedom 11 (Atlantic Ocean): An extraordinary underwater tribute deployed onto the seafloor on the deck of the sunken USS Vandenberg, now an artificial reef, within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This sculpture is the only authentic 9/11 artifact that has been placed underwater as a memorial.
- Healing Science ( IMAG Science and History Museum, Fort Myers, FL) This 9/11 memorial sculpture sits outside the front entryway to the Museum. It has 16, 4 foot tall informational signs explaining the events of that day on a brick pathway that surrounds this monument. There are a couple people who work at this museum that were living in New York on that day. They are responsible for the phenomenal sign representations.
- Rockaway 11 (Gander, Newfoundland in Fire Rescue in Canada) Once San heard about all the planes that had to be grounded in Newfoundland as they were flying across the Atlantic, she knew the townsfolk of Gander should have a sculpture from Project 911UP. The town of Gander took in, fed and housed over 7,000 passengers for 5 days until the airspace was cleared to resume flights. For all their courage and quick responses to take care of everyone, San is so glad to have a memorial there also.
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Commitment to the National Memorials
Sandra believes that public art should directly support history. To ensure future generations can access these chapters of American history, Project 911UP pledges 12% of all proceeds divided amongst the three primary national sites:
1. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum (New York City, NY)
2. The National Pentagon Memorial (Washington, D.C. area)
3. The Flight 93 National Memorial (Shanksville, PA)
“Everyone has the right to heal through the experience of seeing and touching these memorials. It’s about positive hope and rebuilding our spirits as a people and a nation.” — Sandra Priest
A little more about the artist
San has created a positive message of moving up and forward after this great tragedy, into the rebuilding of our lives. Whether you choose a piece already completed or have us create a design for you, we at Project 911UP look forward to working with you. Contact San’s studio today, 239-269-5733, to answer any questions you might have about the details relating to having a sculpture for your public venue.
