Curtain of Courage Memorial

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The Curtain of Courage is a permanent memorial to the 14 people killed and 22 wounded in a December 2, 2015 terrorist attack on a group of San Bernardino County employees. The memorial, located on the grounds of the County Government Center in San Bernardino, was almost seven years in the making as the County led an effort to engage survivors, create and support a Memorial Committee of survivors and County subject-matter experts, review other memorials, search for and screen artists, and work closely with the selected world-renown artist on the design, creation, and installation of the Curtain of Courage. The County marked project milestones with events to further engage the survivors and the community. The County also created a website, https://december2.sbcounty.gov/, as a repository for information about the tragedy and the memorial and as an on-site guide for visitors to the memorial. Since its unveiling on June 17, 2022, the Curtain of Courage has become a frequently visited touchstone for County employees, members of the community, and survivors seeking to remember and honor those who were taken and those who are still healing.