The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum announced last week that the annual Tribute in Light memorial would not be happening this year, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said that state funding would be provided to make sure that the remembrance would indeed take place.

9/11 Memorial & Museum President and CEO Alice M. Greenwald said, “I want to particularly thank Mike Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. for their assistance in offsetting the increased costs associated with the health and safety considerations around the tribute this year and the technical support of so many that will enable the tribute to be a continuing source of comfort to families and an inspiration to the world going forward.”

Tribute in Light is a commemorative public art installation first presented six months after the 9/11 attacks and then every year thereafter, from dusk to dawn, on the night of September 11. It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York.

Assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial, the twin beams reach up to 4 miles into the sky and are comprised of 88 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan.

Tribute in Light was conceived by several artists and designers who were then brought together under the auspices of the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time: John Bennett, Gustavo Boneverdi, Richard Nash Gould, Julian LaVerdiere, and Paul Myoda, with lighting consultant Paul Marantz.

Tribute in Light is produced by Michael Ahern Production Services.

This year marks the 19^th 9/11 Anniversary Commemoration.