Artwork Inspired by Firefighters and Admired By My Jr. Firefighter Son by Robin Gorman Newman
My son, Seth, has been a Junior Firefighter volunteer in our town for some time, and we had the privilege of attending, a while back, a special event held at the New York City Fire Museum — New York’s Bravest Honored in a Pop-Up Exhibition by Acclaimed UK Artist, Alexander Millar.
We became instant fans of the artist and recently became the proud owners of one of Millar’s prints (Parade Day….pictured to the left).
His work is so impressive and heartfelt, that it prompted me to share about his inspired artistry.
Taking inspiration from archive material from the New York City Fire Museum, and the Vulcan Society (a fraternal organization of Black Firefighters), including photographs of the 18th, 19th and 20th century firefighter, Millar has created a collection of portraits and cityscapes that show respect, humor and warmth for the everyday heroes of the city, communicating a strong sense of the people behind the uniforms.
(Power and Glory)
Millar donates 20% of the profits from sales of one of his new artworks, ‘We Can Be Heroes’, to the city’s Fire Museum and the Vulcan Society.
“The New York firefighters are an iconic representation of the spirit of New York in many ways, I am in awe of what they gave and the courage they showed during 9/11 and to this day. I wanted to create work that shows not only a hero, but also a father, brother, son, daughter, mother and sister. I’m honored and humbled that the New York City Fire Museum welcomed me to originally showcase my work there,” stated Alexander Millar.
(Seth with Alexander Millar)
Alexander Millar is a Scotsman, and warm guy, who has built his considerable artistic reputation on capturing the spirit and simple humanity of working men and women living in industrial environments in his native UK, in a characteristic style full of warmth and humor.
He has drawn on this background in his attempts to capture the special atmosphere of New York, a city he has long admired and loved. The collection includes a commemorative portrait of Wesley A. Williams, the man who became the first African American Battalion Chief in the New York City Fire Department.
(A New Dawn)
“Just as the NYC Fire Museum displays firefighter portraits from the 19th and 20th Centuries, Alexander Millar’s work documents the FDNY in the 21st Century and will be looked upon with great admiration by past, current and future generations.” – The New York City Fire Museum
“The Vulcan Society is very excited to be a part of this important project. We are honored that one of our heroes and founder Chief Wesley Williams is recognized through art to display his greatness. We are excited to have this realistic image of people of color serving their community and hope that this inspires others to embrace this profession and do the same. – The Vulcan Society
In the U.S., you may view Alexander Millar paintings, drawings and sculptures at 144 5th Avenue in the Chelsea Flatiron District in NYC.
Visit www.alexandermillar.com and www.everydayheroesnyc.com
Note: We were gifted with a print, but our opinions are our own.
Tags: artist alexander millar, Everyday Heroes, firefighters, new york city fire museum, nyc art gallery, paintings, Vulcan Society
