When the Twin Towers came down, I watched it live on tv while living in Canada. My eyes fixed at the screen, unbelievable, my heart dropped. Years later, I picked up an American flag with the photo of Michael Ragusa. I carry that flag and photo in my car so he can travel along with me on my adventures. Here is his story…
Michael was from Brooklyn, NYC
Michael Ragusa, Engine 279, Ladder 131. A fireman protecting our lives, lost his on that fateful day in NYC. The wave of impact reached across the world including my little ol’ town of New Bern, where hundreds of community organizations lift spirits with fundraisers and awareness campaigns. One of my friends maintained a booth during a festival to bring awareness for those who made the supreme sacrifice on September 11, 2001. She held a bouquet of American flags each attached with a photo of a firefighter. She offered the flag attached to Michael Ragusa. It was now my duty to keep his memory alive. The flag and his photo travels in my car with me. Even when my car was without a second passenger, I never felt alone. Michael’s spirit is with me, and my gratitude is immense for it. Somedays, we held conversations where he would ask, “Where are we going?” and in reply, “Here we go, Michael, on another grand adventure.” I felt like we were both smiling.
I found a tribute on social media honoring his memory:
Michael Ragusa, 29, was on the FDNY’s waiting list for seven years before he was able to join the force in 1999. He was based with Engine 250 in Brooklyn, but was on rotation to Engine 279 on 9/11. He loved being a firefighter and just in August had the opportunity to be the nozzle man at a large paint fire in Brooklyn. 134 firefighter families have had no one to bury following 9/11, and not one firefighter from Engine 279 or Ladder 131 was ever found. The memorial service for Michael Ragusa was the very last FDNY memorial service of all 343, held just a few days shy of the 2-year anniversary. His parents despaired of burying an empty coffin, so they retrieved a vial of blood that he had donated to the National Marrow Donor program and buried that in his coffin, grateful to have something of him.
His profile was published in the NY Times on December 25, 2001:
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ABOUT the artist Lisa Bisbee
Lisa Bisbee creates beauty and inspirational art for you to enjoy. Where art does not exist, life is bland, stark and depressive. Liven up your life with fresh contemporary paintings by Lisa Bisbee. Fill up your office or lobby with unique pieces to showcase how innovative your company is thriving. Imagine a long days work, opening the door to a treasured piece of art that you love. Adorn your hallways, living area, sunroom or beach house with peaceful or exciting original art by Lisa Bisbee. Add flair with small original works on your yacht or mountain cottage. Lift up your spirit. Spark a conversation about art to build connections, “What do you think about that piece of artwork, some imagination, eh?”
Lisa Bisbee paints almost daily, using oils on canvas. Her subject matter is focused into three courses: representational, abstract and figurative. She has sold hundreds of original pieces to private collectors.
Using reference photos during her travels, she creates representational art illustrating her memory in the majority of her artwork. Using bold strokes and texture, the depiction is a gestural expression. Lisa explains, “The end result is a representational painting, and the best part is within it, I can remember the details of my environment when I took the photo.” For example, a coffee cup will trigger her memory of the long walk to the cafe, how hot the morning was, who she was with, the accent of the waiter, the conversation over the table and more.
In her “Jazz” series, the non-objective abstracts are diverse in method. Geometric forms, highly-blended contrasting colors, thick impasto texture and thin glazes all play a part in Lisa’s creations. In the “Cave Stories” body of work, Lisa’s figurative work is both abstract and representational sometimes depicting scenes of people gathering, dancing or storytelling.
Her successful career as an artist began with earning a BFA at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where she learned the principles and elements of design.
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