Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 28, 1996

Release #551-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972


MAYOR GIULIANI UNVEILS JUDY PENZER MEMORIAL PLAQUE
AT QUEENS FAMILY COURTHOUSE

TWA Flight 800 Crash Victim's Artwork Graces Queens Family Court Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani went to the Queens Family Court building today to unveil a plaque in memory and appreciation of TWA Flight 800 victim Judy Penzer, an accomplished artist whose murals adorn the courthouse. The Mayor was joined by the Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, Probation Commissioner Raul Russi, Katherine Lapp, the Mayor's Criminal Justice Coordinator, members of the Penzer family and employees of Queens Family Court.

"We are gathered today to celebrate the marvelous life, talents and contributions of Judy Penzer," Mayor Giuliani said. "Judy worked with young people who were in trouble, on parole, who had led hard, often disadvantaged lives, who were on the wrong track and headed in the wrong direction. Judy Penzer's story is of a remarkable human being, with so much to live for, and so much left to give, who was taken from us too soon. I hope with this plaque and this dedication, we can keep her memory alive forever, as an example to us all of commitment and contribution, but also of love talent, optimism and compassion."

"Judy Penzer enlivened the Queens Family Court with her personality and her murals," Chief Judge Kaye said. "This dedication is a fitting tribute to her commitment to the youth of this City and her contributions to this courthouse."

Ms. Penzer, a Long Island native, worked with four juvenile offenders in 1994 supervising a three-wall mural project for the probation office waiting room entitled "Stop the Violence." The mural embodies an anti-violence message to the many teens who come in for counseling. In the months prior to the Flight 800 tragedy, Ms. Penzer created a beautiful mural for the court's Children's Center, a child care center for parents who are there for a court appearance.

Personnel from the Queens Court are currently seeking additional funding and an artist to complete another project, for the teenage offenders Ms. Penzer wanted to supervise after her trip to Paris.

Judy Penzer's work also graces the Pittsburgh skyline. Her most famous murals there include "The Real People Mural," and "The Wall of Fame," a mural depicting famous Pittsburgh sports stars. Ms. Penzer also painted a mural on the wall of a South Bronx school.



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