On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City suffered a horrific tragedy. With the death toll reaching 168 and hundreds more injured victims, the bombing of Oklahoma City’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building left the city in shambles. The structural damage of the downtown buildings was inescapable, but less apparent was the emotional destruction the bombing caused. As the city worked toward restoration, the National Endowment of the Arts aided in the process by utilizing the arts.

Through the design initiative We Will Be Back: Oklahoma City Rebuilds, the NEA sought to use the healing capabilities of the arts to assist the citizens of Oklahoma City in coping with this tragedy. The initiative consisted of two components, one that involved the architectural design to shape a new city and another that sought healing through art therapy. By employing one of the most effective healing methods used throughout history, the arts, the NEA contributed to not only structural rebuilding, but emotional revival as well.

In an effort to help the city rebuild, the NEA organized a design summit in which government officials, local architects, engineers, city planners, property owners, and design specialists shared ideas about short- and long-term plans regarding rebuilding efforts. The findings greatly aided in the creative redevelopment of the city, demonstrating the role design plays in the interaction between the community and public spaces.

The other component of the We Will Be Back: Oklahoma City Rebuilds initiative was art therapy, designed specifically for survivors and family members of the bombing victims. The Arts Endowment, in partnership with the Oklahoma Arts Institute, offered free workshops on various forms of art, including weaving, music, writing, sculpting, mask making, and painting. Participants of all ages used the free workshops as a means to express their grief in a healthy manner.

Referencing the hope that art and creative expression brings, Tim Rollins, who led a painting workshop, wrote these thoughts after the session, “Art is the enemy of death. Art is the way when there is no way out. Art is hope made manifest and I am a witness.”