Where I come from in Long Island, it’s very rare that you’d come across displays of public art as you do ubiquitously in New York City. But when you do happen to find an occasional form of street art, it must have some deeper value and it is more appreciated by the townspeople because of its rarity. Right at the edge of town, in the middle of the 24-hour rush of the shopping center, grocery stores, and banks, Moonlight Pub continues to catch the eyes of many of the residents because of the mural that is displayed on its wall. This location is significant to the mural because as people leave or enter town, it is visible, and the fact that its location is very busy gives it a larger audience.

Our village is known for its service through the majority of volunteer fire fighters and dedicated police officers who live there, many of whom have grown up and continued to settle down here with their own families. Therefore, this mural honoring these heroes speaks a lot about the importance and gratitude that our town gives towards their service.

This mural also specifically commemorates the men and women who worked to save the lives of the victims of 9/11. This is significant because although Long Island is not considered part of “the city,” families were affected here by this dreadful event as well because of lost family members or those who even served at the scene. It brings pride to the town for giving rise to so many brave men and women who continue to serve our country and the people through their role as police officers and firefighters.

An artistic choice that makes this piece very eye-catching and alluring is the broken brick wall along the bottom, which gives viewers the perception that they are looking into a three-dimensional city landscape rather than a wall. The dark colors contrasted with the orange sunset background along with the bridge that seems to connect the viewers to the distant city give the picture depth and makes it very realistic.

There is no specified title for this mural, but it was commissioned by the Moonlight Pub to have on its wall because many of its customers come from backgrounds of service. It is meant to last a long time for the townspeople to always remember the incident and how thankful they should be to the many firefighters and police officers who are among them. The mural takes up half the wall, which is shared with another mural that is in remembrance of a loved one by his family and friends. This mural is very deep in its significance and it continues to be valued by the residents today.