hen two firetrucks pulled up to Pomm’s Gallery, the fine arts gallery of prominent Glendale artist Pomm Hepner, no one showed concern or alarm. In fact, the mood was cheerful that November day as 16 firefighters from Glendale Fire House 21 and Burbank Fire House 11 disembarked from the trucks and gathered in front of the gallery in Kenneth Village.
Local merchants supplied pizza, pastries and soft drinks, and a small crowd gathered, including members of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. They had come to watch the presentation to the Glendale and Burbank fire departments of Pomm’s latest release, a painting in commemoration of firefighters in the wake of the heroic efforts to save lives in New York City.
Named “Unspoken Courage”, the painting depicts a fireman with two children in front of an American flag; ashen litter from the World Trade Center towers covers the ground.
Pomm and her husband Randy were each in New York following the terrorist attack, where they worked with fellow Scientology Volunteer Ministers to bring relief to the rescue crews and residents affected by the disaster (see main story). Pomm and other artists also painted a large mural of the American flag while there, which helped to provide the artist inspiration for “Unspoken Courage”.
“The painting is an acknowledgment to the heroes who work daily to keep us safe from harm,” she said in presenting special edition prints to the two fire departments. “I painted this work from my heart. It shows our gratitude. It shows you that we, as Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology, will continue to volunteer our services to you, closer to home.”
The prints, donated by the Volunteer Ministers to the fire departments, were presented to Battalion Chief Mike Haney of the Glendale Fire Department and Captain Ron Bell of the Burbank Fire Department.
In addition to the Volunteer Ministers and local merchants, present at the Glendale event were Pomm’s husband, her gallery director and manager, and the owner and two executives of the Church of Scientology Mission of Brand Boulevard.
Pomm concluded the presentation by reading a quote from Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard which appears on a plaque on each print:
“Wherever man strives,
Wherever he works,
Whatever he does,
The good he does
Outweighs the evil.”
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