ORLANDO, Fla. – Ten years after the Pulse nightclub shooting killed 49 people, Orlando is honoring the victims with a week of remembrance events and a city hall update on the long-awaited permanent memorial.
On Monday, the City of Orlando will display prayer ribbons created by Massachusetts-based artist Jay Critchley in front of City Hall at 400 South Orange Avenue. The ribbons, which carry messages of support from around the world, will remain on display through Sunday.
While those ribbons went up, the Orlando City Council got an update on the memorial during a workshop.
Last month, the Pulse Advisory Board reviewed new renderings after the city announced it reached the 60 percent design phase. The visitor center is taking shape, featuring a timeline of how events unfolded the morning of June 12, 2016 — though the design has drawn some scrutiny.
During the workshop on the memorial Monday, the design team discussed the renderings and specific details about the memorial.
President of Borrelli + Partners, Jorge Borrelli, explained how concrete from the building, that was torn down in March, will be repurposed throughout the site to help people who visit feel connected to it, even though it’s no longer physically there.
“There were many of the family members that did not actually want the building demolished because their child had died there, and they felt like their soul was there. So in this way, we’re able to preserve that and keep the building in a holistic manner on the site,” Borrelli said.
The team also shared how personal items that belong to the angels, given to the city by family members, will also be safely on display at the memorial in capsules.
“[This] allows the visitor, particularly those that are still going through the grieving process, to commune with that in that space and reflect back out, looking and seeing the survivors beyond this tragic site,” Project Manager Dan-Michael Trbovich explained.
“In a very symbolic way, this is the area in which you can come to be surrounded by those angels.”
Art exhibition opens Thursday
A new exhibition, “Created in Community: Portraits of Pulse”, opens Thursday at the Terrace Gallery inside City Hall and runs through Aug. 23.
The collection features 49 collaborative portraits — one for each life taken — designed as paint-by-number works by local artist Jeff Sonksen and completed in 2017 by families, friends, and community members. Some portraits were intentionally left unfinished.
The collection was acquired by the Orange County Regional History Center in 2024 after traveling to Chicago.
Remembrance ceremony set for Friday
The Annual Pulse Remembrance Ceremony is set to take place on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 311 South Magnolia Avenue.
The evening includes musical performances from local cultural artists and the Orlando Gay Chorus, a special presentation by City of Orlando Poet Laureate Camara Gaither, and participation from the Angel Action Wings volunteer group.
The ceremony will close with a candlelight vigil and the reading of all 49 names.
“Ten years later, we continue to carry the memories of the 49 lives taken in our hearts,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said in a news release. “Orlando stands united in love, resilience and remembrance, and remains committed to honoring their legacy through continued unity and support.”
For a full schedule of events, click here.