Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg
Career[edit]
Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg (born October 6, 1959) is an American artist. She designed the In America: Remember art installation which initially placed over 660,000 miniature white flags on the National Mall to represent every American life lost to COVID-19. During the 17 day exhibition, another 41,000 flags were added due to uptick in COVID deaths in the fall of 2021, bringing the total flags to 701,000.
At the age of 50, Firstenberg “accidentally” became an artist and her first project was a sculptured bust of a woman, in a ceramics class. She works in mixed media, including painting, drawing, welding, neon-tube bending, stone carving, ice sculpting and more.
In 2023, Firstenberg began speaking about the connection between political extremism and addiction, based on research she conducted for the social change art she produces.
Public Exhibits[edit]
2024[edit]
alienable right to life
Freedom Plaza
Washington DC, USA
2023 [edit]
The Empty Fix Project: Reflect II
Rockville Town Square
Rockville, Maryland
2022[edit]
The Empty Fix Project: Protect Them
Rockville Town Square
Rockville, Maryland
2021[edit]
In America: Remember
National Mall
Washington, District of Columbia
2020[edit]
In America: How could this happen…
DC Armory Mall
Washington, District of Columbia
2019[edit]
The Empty Fix Project: Unforgotten and Eyes (two exhibitions)
Executive Office Building Plaza, Montgomery County
Rockville, Maryland
One Bethesda Metro Plaza
Bethesda, Maryland
2016[edit]
Metro Arts Walk
Collaborative Public Art Project: Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Strathmore Hall Foundation,
and Montgomery County Public Schools (MSPS)
Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Plaza
North Bethesda, Maryland
2016[edit]
30th Annual Harbin International Ice Sculpture Competition,
Ice and Snow World, (Invitational)
Harbin, China
2016[edit]
21st Annual Harbin International Snow Sculpture Competition,
Sun Island; (Invitational)
Harbin, China
Reception[edit]
- World’s Best Public Art of 2021 – Artsy Magazine
- Washingtonian of the Year 2021 – Washingtonian Magazine
- Resilience of the Human Spirit Recognition (2021) – National Geographic
- Inclusion in “Google Year in Search 2021”
- Information is Beautiful Award 2022 (shortlisted) --Global Data Visualization Society
- Creativity Prize –Harbin International Ice Sculpting Competition; Harbin, China 2016
Personal life[edit]
Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg grew up in South Dakota, one of five children. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA and later received an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Early career moves took her from the pharmaceutical industry to the United States Senate, where she staffed for Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) (1990-1991). For balance, Firstenberg volunteers with the terminally ill. She is married and has three children.
Media Notes[edit]
- TEDx Foggy Bottom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-qUmeT1-fE
- American Democracy Summit speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ3qf_s6GkA
- https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/i-will-never-be-the-same-4-years-on-remembering-the-lives-lost-to-covid-19/3564258/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/17/covid-families-flags-pandemic-grief/
- https://www.washingtonian.com/2024/04/02/a-striking-new-work-from-the-artist-behind-the-covid-flags-on-the-mall/
- "Visitors See More Than Just Grief And Loss At COVID-19 Memorial In D.C." https://www.npr.org/2021/09/26/1040791827/visitors-see-more-than-just-grief-and-loss-at-covid-19-memorial-in-d-c
- "Photos: Over 650,000 white flags commemorate pandemic's toll on the U.S." Los Angeles Times. September 21, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-09-20/photos-washington-dc-art-installation-covids-toll