A place for families to honor and celebrate loved ones lost to gun violence, this memorial garden aims to raise awareness of the impact of gun deaths and inspire leaders and communities to address the multiple roots of violence. 

Gun deaths represent “an entire generation and lineage lost.” As such, the central sculpture depicts a collage of figures, with some depicted by voids – illustrating the sense of absence when loved ones are lost to tragedy. This serves as a reminder of both the fragility and strength inherent within the family unit and the community.

 

The design for the memorial garden provides a path embedded with engraved stone pavers for visitors to walk the site, as ambient sounds from a row of lamppost wind chimes mask traffic noise. Arriving at a serene circular garden with flowering plantings and wood benches, visitors remember loved ones among memory tiles laid into a stone wall carrying phrases shared by New Haven families.