Nicole Langhorst keeps the memory of her sister, Michelle, alive in the form of a Corten steel silhouette, which stands 10 feet tall.
Michelle was a military policewoman in the U.S. Army. She was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and spent 9½ years in uniform before a medical (and honorable) discharge ended her military career. Not long after, in 2015, Michelle died by suicide at age 31.
To bring attention to the more than 30,000 other post-9/11 service members who have taken their own lives, veteran support organization Mission 22 initiated the “War at Home Memorial” in 2017. Because of Nicole’s nomination, Michelle was honored as a part of that traveling memorial.
Using a photo of her standing tall in U.S. Army desert camouflage during her deployment, holding an M4 rifle with an M203 grenade launcher attached, and a smile on her face, Mission 22 artists created a silhouette out of Corten steel. The outer portion was used for the memorial and the inside — weighing a few thousand pounds — was given to her family.
By Veterans Day, Michelle’s larger-than-life silhouette will represent equally weighty concepts of guardianship, protection, honor and gratitude as the centerpiece of a brand new piece of public art in Forest Hills, erected in front of an apartment building reserved exclusively for senior citizens and veterans.
Connections
Nicole, 42, studied psychology with a focus on military studies at Liberty University in Virginia. During an internship, she crossed paths with a man who learned about Michelle, the War at Home Memorial and the family’s desire to do something meaningful with the silhouette.
And he had a suggestion for its use: Pittsburgh-based organization Operation Valor Arts, which is dedicated to supporting veterans in the creation of public art.
When Nicole reached out to OVArts executive director and co-founder Allyson Holtz, she had just connected with Action Housing, a Pittsburgh company dedicated to housing for underserved populations, such as veterans, seniors and those with disabilities.
Though Action Housing has other properties in Pittsburgh, the senior and veteran-focused apartment building at 1844 Ardmore Blvd. in Forest Hills “was always a frontrunner” because of how busy the area is. Michelle’s silhouette was a welcome component to the property.
“The original goal was to show appreciation for our veterans, not just in our buildings but in the surrounding areas,” said Joe Costa, Action Housing senior development associate. “These are people’s homes, and we want them to feel proud and take ownership of the place.”
Taking ownership
A primary purpose of OVArts is community engagement, with benefits flowing in all directions.
“In the process of creating these sculptures, our veterans connect with community leaders and professionals who perhaps give them ideas about different types of employment or education,” Ms. Holtz said. “A very rewarding part of the Forest Hills project is, we have really created a community.”
In addition to OVArts veterans, she invited residents of 1844 Ardmore Blvd. to join the design team. And while the program is designed for veterans, OVArts welcomes any supporters. In this case, that included spouses of veteran residents and Nicole.
During the early design meetings, she remembers the group writing down answers to the question, “What does service mean to you?” The papers were handed in anonymously, as leaders looked for common themes. A similar process was used for aspects of the design.
The concept of “In the Shade of Service,” emerged quickly and became the sculpture’s title. The inclusion of a tree followed as the source of shade and because Forest Hills is aptly named.
The final design places Michelle’s silhouette at the center. Behind her is a Corten steel tree stretching 18 feet tall with leaves implied by clustered, over-sized military dog tags. In the shade of that “tree” are two benches, making the piece functional as well as pleasing to look at.
“We’re really just trying to honor the veterans and include the residents on the design team to have their voices heard and produced into a real, tangible thing,” Mr. Costa said.
Protection
There’s a “protection element” to the design, as Ms. Holtz describes it, as citizens and veterans who sit in its shade are covered physically and conceptually by the tree and soldiers such as Michelle.
But Vietnam-era Navy veteran, 1844 Ardmore Blvd. resident and member of the design team Tony Herman views the symbolism differently.
“You have to realize that service members haven’t always been treated that well,” he said. “Service members come back from war, and they can be treated like crap.”
He speaks passionately about how service members don’t “want to go kill somebody,” but it’s something that must be learned.
“You can’t just release people from that and expect them to move into society,” he said. “The statue, for me, is about veterans coming home and the problems they have.”
For him, the concept of “protection” isn’t just provided by the service members Michelle represents. He hopes protection also will be extended to them.
Stars (and stripes)
Ms. Holtz is an accomplished painter and sculptor whose work has been displayed in Manhattan; Washington, D.C; and throughout New England as well as Pennsylvania. She said OVArts is the only organization in the country “solely focused on veteran designed public art.”
And there’s good reason for that, since it often comes with logistical and bureaucratic hurdles.
Though OVArts has experienced those with other projects, Ms. Holtz describes this experience as “seamless,” as Forest Hills “loves” the idea of welcoming its first piece of public art.
On May 13, OVArts and Action Housing will host a groundbreaking ceremony for “Under the Shade of Service” at 1844 Ardmore Blvd. with state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, state Rep. Summer Lee, county executive Rich Fitzgerald and Forest Hills Mayor Frank Porco.
But the stars of that show will be the veterans of that apartment complex and design team and Michelle’s silhouette, knowing how many others they represent.
“I feel very blessed that my sister will have a lasting place for people to sit there and reflect,” Nicole said. Maybe they’re having a bad day or it becomes a meeting place in the community where people might say, ‘Let’s meet at the statue.’
“I feel so humbled that I could do this for my sister, but I didn’t really do anything. It was all her.”
The groundbreaking ceremony is free and open to the public, though reservations are required: Call 412-254-3248 or email info@ovarts.org.
Abby Mackey: amackey@post-gazette.com, Twitter @AnthroAbbyRN and IG @abbymackeywrites.
First Published: May 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m.
