Replica of New York City on display in Ames

Some Iowans who were emotionally hurting over the nine-eleven attacks built a replica of the New York City skyline — all in black, with the World Trade Center’s twin towers in gold. The work of art will be assembled tonight in an Ames shopping mall. Angie Peterson says it’ll send shoppers a message that someone really cares.Peterson runs Market Street Gallery and Framing in the Webster County town of Gowrie, southwest of Fort Dodge. The skyline is to scale and is complete with bridges and the Statue of Liberty. The twin towers are the tallest objects at a little over four feet in height. The work itself is four-feet by sixteen-feet.Peterson says she and co-workers and friends hand-cut and hand-painted some 13-hundred pieces of glass for the golden windows. The exhibit was first done for the Gowrie Fourth of July parade and she was glad North Grand Mall agreed to display it in center court, starting on September 11th. She says having a lot of people see the piece makes all the work and hours put into it worthwhile.Peterson says it was “therapeutic. Working on it helped us through the anger and grief we felt for the thousands of victims. We hope it helps others.” The display will be at the mall through September 26th.