Granite Mountain Hotshots

On the evening of June 28, 2013, a wildfire just outside the small town of Yarnell, AZ was ignited due to a lightning strike. Two days later, on June 30th, the city of Prescott, AZ lost 19 of their own firefighters, members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, to the wrath of the wildfire. The Prescott community united to embrace the fallen hotshot’s and honor their heroism. Members of not only Prescott, but the entire nation, came together to pay tribute, by adorning the fence outside the fire station the hotshots called home. The fallen hotshots lives impacted me on a personal level, which is what inspired me to pay tribute to them through a heartfelt creation. 

“Frameable Moments”

In 2016, Tru Vue, one of the picture framing industry’s leading glazing companies, launched their annual framing competition. The theme of the competition was “Frameable Moments”. Inviting framers to create a memorable piece, that represented a special moment in their community, was the competition’s goal. I found this to be a perfect opportunity to personally pay my respects and honor the cherished hot shots. One of the most notable stories of the Granite Mountain Hotshots is when they saved a beloved juniper tree during the Doce Fire of early June, 2013. Upon saving the tree, the crew created a human pyramid, and posed in front of the juniper, to celebrate their success. This moment of the crews courage was my true inspiration for creating the hotshots “Frameable Moment”, Eternal Remembrance.

Eternal Remembrance

From the beginning, I chose to use juniper wood as the primary material, to honor the hotshots accomplishment. I acquired the juniper wood from a local mill and began constructing the “Frameable Moment”. The frame contains lap-joints to create the appearance of a seamless juniper tree. At the bottom of the frame, I carved a scenery of Granite Mountain, and engraved the phrase “ESSE QUAM VIDERI”. The phrase is Latin meaning “To be, rather to be seem”, and it was motto of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Sitting atop the frame is a carved Maltese cross with the number “19” in the center. A star of life, along with an eternal flame, lie on each side within the cross. American and Arizona flags also lie on either side of the cross, representing the hotshots dedication to their homeland. Each fallen hotshot has their name engraved into the one of the pillars of the frame. Additionally, a strip of LED lights are inserted behind the pillars, allowing the names to be eternally illuminated, honoring their remembrance. Finally, the center of the frame houses two pictures, expressing the joy and commemoration of the hotshots. The top picture contains the celebratory human pyramid the crew made,  after they saved the juniper tree. The tree stands tall in the background, and symbolizes the success of the crew. Finally,the bottom picture is of the decorated fence in front of their old fire station, ultimately representing the significance the Granite Mountain Hotshots left on our community. 

Further information and articles can be found on Picture Framing Magazine, Tru Vue, and the Frame & I. A reception video along with additional gallery photos are also available. The frame currently resides at the Prescott Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.