This Virginia artist spent 5 years delivering his 9/11 painting to every NYC firehouse and precinct

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Colonial Heights artist reflects on how a painting he created in the weeks after the tragedy helped first responders heal — and how it still impacts people today.

Henry Kidd was driving toward western Virginia when he heard about the attacks on the radio.

"It was very tough hearing what was going on," Kidd said.

The next day, he said he felt called to pick up a brush.

"I feel like God gave me a vision," Kidd said.

He worked fast. The painting depicts the World Trade Center standing tall, the Pentagon, and an eagle representing Flight 93. Rays of sunlight shine down on an American flag — representing God Bless America, Kidd said — and a family represents American families moving beyond the tragedy.

"So it represents all of September 11th," Kidd said.

He finished it on Oct. 7, less than a month after the tragedy.

That fall, Kidd set up at Southpark Mall and began selling prints. The response was overwhelming.

"I was able to raise $25,000, which I gave $15,000 to FDNY and $10,000 to NYPD," Kidd said.

Then he made his first trip to New York City, visiting Ladder Company 6 — one of the firehouses depicted in the painting.

"They welcomed me with open arms," Kidd said.

That visit sparked an even bigger mission. Kidd decided to personally deliver a framed print to every firehouse and police precinct in New York City, as well as to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Northern Virginia firehouse that responded to the Pentagon.

"I'm going to give one, framed, to every single firehouse, every single police precinct in the entire City of New York, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, that responded to Flight 93, and Northern Virginia to the firehouse that responded to the Pentagon," Kidd said.

The quest took five years and 338 presentations to complete. At each stop, Kidd made one simple request.

"I would ask the firefighters and police officers if they could sign it," Kidd said.

He now has three prints filled with the signatures of those first responders.

"This is signed by those heroes from 9/11," Kidd said.

Along with the signed prints, Kidd carries dozens of memories from his years of face-to-face meetings with the men and women who responded on that day.