Bush 9/11 paintings revisit deeply documented moments from September 2001, including the Florida classroom and his Ground Zero bullhorn address.
DALLAS: Former US President George W. Bush has turned some of the most recognisable moments of September 11, 2001, into paintings, using his post-presidential passion for art to revisit events that defined his presidency and profoundly changed the United States.
The Bush 9/11 paintings form a collection of 16 new works created for the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Titled Remembering 9/11, the exhibition is on display throughout September at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum in Dallas.
Bush paints the moment he learnt America was under attack
Among the works is Bush’s interpretation of the moment White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered into his ear at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida.
Bush had been visiting a classroom on September 11, 2001, when Card informed him that a second aircraft had struck the World Trade Center and that America was under attack.
Bush remained seated as the children continued their reading exercise. His expression during those minutes became one of the most widely replayed images of his presidency and later attracted criticism and political commentary. Bush has said he remained composed because he did not want to alarm the children.
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An iconic Ground Zero moment becomes art
The collection also revisits Bush’s September 14 visit to Ground Zero in New York.
Standing on the wreckage of a fire truck alongside retired firefighter Bob Beckwith, Bush used a bullhorn to address rescue workers after members of the crowd said they could not hear him.
The George W. Bush Presidential Library records the moment as one of the defining scenes following the attacks. The bullhorn Bush used is preserved in its collection.
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Sixteen paintings tell a wider story
The Bush 9/11 paintings extend beyond Bush himself.
According to the Bush Center, the 16 works explore themes of courage, sacrifice and resilience associated with the attacks and their aftermath. One depicts a firefighter’s helmet and flowers at New York City’s Engine Company 55 firehouse.
Bush began painting after leaving the White House in 2009 and has previously produced portraits of military veterans and world leaders. His latest collection uses that practice to interpret events he personally experienced as president.
The exhibition also sits alongside the museum’s permanent September 11 displays, which include World Trade Center steel and other historical artefacts.
Art meets history 25 years later
The Bush 9/11 paintings arrive as Americans mark a quarter-century since the attacks, bringing a personal artistic perspective to moments already preserved extensively through photographs, television footage and historical records.
Remembering 9/11 remains on display at the Bush Museum’s Freedom Hall until September 30, 2026.
Impact to expect
The collection offers visitors another way to engage with the history of September 11, presenting Bush’s personal interpretation alongside the photographs, artefacts and records documenting the attacks and their aftermath.
