Inspired by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Westerville resident Audrey Panickahoon Crone, who had been living near New York City at the time of the attacks, turned to art to help her cope with the tragedy.

Crone created a piece of art that would capture the emotions of the weeks following the attacks. The work consists of what Crone calls four “9/11 American Flag” collages. Each star on the flag displays the names of FDNY and NYPD members who lost their lives trying to save innocent people that were trapped in the two towers. The collages are made out of cut-out images from newspaper clippings from the New York Post, The New York Times and Newsday the day after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Crone hopes the images will be a constant reminder of how brave and selfless Americans are when faced with calamity. The size of the artwork is 40-by-32 inches.

After reading about the progress of First Responder’s Park, Crone was compelled to donate one of the collages to Westerville. The piece currently resides at Station 111 at 400 W. Main St.

The city interviewed Crone about her background, her inspiration and how art helped her through one of America’s darkest times.

Tell us a little bit about your personal background.
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and raised in a suburb of Washington, D.C. I lived and worked in NYC for 15 years. I’m married with two boys, Nicholas (5), and Alekzander (almost 4).

You are the co-founder and publisher of JADE Magazine. Tell us about the publication?
JADE Magazine is a publication targeting Asian American women. My business partner, Ellen Hwang, and I started the JadeMagazine.com back in 1998. It’s our way of contributing to the community by supporting and celebrating the talents of Asian-American women.

Where were you and what were you doing when you first heard about the Sept. 11 attacks?
We were living in Astoria, Queens. I had a day off from work that day. As I was getting ready to go shopping at Century 21 department store (which is across the street from the Trade Center), my husband called to tell me to turn on the TV.

An hour later, my husband (Mark) came home. We walked over to the Triborough Bridge to get a better view of the World Trade Center Towers. On the bridge there were construction workers, a photographer and us – all glued to watching the burning towers. One of the construction workers yelled out that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon. I just remember staring at one of the towers; it felt like a split second when it disappeared before my eyes. Then later the second tower came down. My initial thought was the people inside the towers, and the FDNY ... (it was) a surreal moment of complete disbelief.

That night my husband biked over to get a better look at Ground Zero. I stayed home and watched the news.

How did you see NYC change in the days/weeks/months following the attack?
It seemed like everyone was in a daze the week after the attack. Weeks later, I went back to work. Coincidentally, my work subway stop was across from where the Trade Towers used to be. It was depressing having to see where the towers used to be every morning. Months past, and life in NYC returned to normal, but with more security, for example NYPD and military presence in subway stations.

How were you personally affected?
I have a personal connection to The World Trade Center. I used to work at One World Trade Center (this building survived the attacks). For two years, I spent my days there. Meeting friends for drinks after work at Windows on the World restaurant was a norm. Shopping in the Corporate Store inside one of the Trade Towers was one of the things I used to do on my lunch hour. When the towers came down, that part of my life went with it.

I was fortunate that I didn’t lose a loved one. Mayor Guilani asked the people of NYC to attend funerals of FDNY and NYPD members since there were so many and he could not attend them all. So, Mark and I attended a FDNY funeral of a friend of my sister-in-law, Arthur Barry, who died in one of the towers.

Is art a regular hobby? If so what other types of work/projects have you done?
I have a master's degree in Communication Designs from Pratt Institute, an art school in Brooklyn, N.Y., but I’ve always painted. I’m still experimenting with various subject matter and medium. Since moving here, I’ve painted rural landscapes and organic subjects, but I’m not too happy with them. I’m currently taking an oil painting class at Columbus College of Art and Design, painting still-life. I’m also toying with an idea of curating an art show for local artists.

Many people claim art can be an extremely healing experience. Do you agree? And how did your projects help you in the wake of Sept. 11?
The process of creating art does have a therapeutic effect, whether it’s writing or making visual, because it’s an outlet of one’s expression. At least for me.

When I created what I called 9/11 American Flag, I was consumed by the news. I felt helpless and wanted to do my share. I thought of an idea to pay tribute to the fallen heroes by putting each of their names on a star of the flag. The collage is a collection of my thoughts of that tragic day, and making it as an American flag represents that we are all Americans. The end result is my way of documenting the event in a symbolic way.