remember the love: resilience and 9/11
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL RIEGER
AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Opening reception | August 27, 2026 — 4:00-6:00 pm
Open House with Michael Rieger | September 11, 2026 – 4:00-7:00 pm
Remember the Love is a collection of photo etchings created from photographs taken by Denver-based photographer Michael Rieger during the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC). As one of two official FEMA photographers dispatched to New York City, Reiger spent six weeks at Ground Zero. During this time, he talked with survivors and first responders and witnessed, as he describes, “moments that most people never saw—quiet acts of kindness, resilience, and hope that became just as much a part of the story as the devastation itself.”
Each photo etching in Remember the Love is accompanied by a narrative written by the Rieger. These photo-narratives invite viewers to look beyond the historical event and reflect on the enduring power of love, community, and service. In a world shaped by increasing division, disaster, and uncertainty, and as the United States continues to engage in conflicts in the Middle East, it is Rieger’s hope that the works included in this exhibition remind us that, even in our darkest moments, it is our capacity to care for one another that defines us and lights the way forward.
Remember the Love is curated by Andrew Palamara and Sarah Watson. Exhibition design and installation by Andrew Palamara, Michael Rieger, and Sarah Watson.
This exhibition is made possible by the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Arts & Media. The CU Denver Experience Gallery is a collaboration between the university and the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
Image: Michael Rieger, God’s House, 2001, Photogravure, Courtesy of the artist
Michael Rieger
artist statement
With Remember the Love, I want to challenge the way we remember September 11. While the attacks were an unimaginable tragedy, what I witnessed at Ground Zero was also an extraordinary outpouring ofcompassion, courage, and humanity. As one of the two official FEMA photographers documenting the aftermath, I had the privilege of witnessing moments that most people never saw—quiet acts of kindness, resilience, and hope that became just as much a part of the story as the devastation itself. By transforming these photographs into photo etchings, I invite viewers to look beyond the historical event and reflect on the enduring power of love, community, and service.
Photogravure is a fine-art printmaking process that combines photography with traditional intaglio engraving. A photographic image is transferred onto a copper plate, which is then etched so that the image is physically engraved into the plate. Ink is worked into those etched areas and pressed onto high-quality paper, producing a print with rich tonal depth, texture, and detail.
In this exhibition, photogravure is especially meaningful to me because the process becomes part of the story. The photographs preserve the historical moment, while the etching reinterprets and gives that memory a physical, timeless form.
artist bio
Rieger’s work as a photographer has led him to a wide variety of stories. He loves street photography and always has a camera with him — whether he’s walking around his neighborhood or traveling across the world.
Rieger has had the opportunity to document community building and artistic expression in Europe, Asia, and Egypt. As a historical photographer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 25 years, he documented the aftermath of dozens of disasters including 9-11 World Trade Centers, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and many wildfires, floods, and tornados. Rieger still works as a freelance photographer.