AARON HALE / Special to the Eagle

Firefighters Geoff Swets, Dustin Beatty and David Bataito stand around a print of Peter O'Neill's painting "Two Minutes of Silence." The artist donated the reprint to Marco's fire department. The Marco Island Foundation for the Arts arranged the arrival and framing of the print.

AARON HALE / Special to the Eagle

Dustin Beatty and David Bataito admire the fire department's gift. Over 17,000 reprints of "Two Minutes of Silence" have been given to fire, rescue and police departments across America.

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Just coming back to the station from a routine call Thursday afternoon, Marco firefighters Geoff Swets, Dustin Beatty and David Bataito graciously accepted an artistic reminder of the ultimate sacrifice many firefighters made on Sept. 11, 2001.

A print of Peter O’Neill’s painting “Two Minutes of Silence” was given to the Marco Island Fire Department by Sandi Johnson of the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts.

O’Neill’s painting depicts a firefighter, with an American flag draped around his shoulders, kneeling amongst the wreckage of the World Trade Center.

According to the artist’s Web site, O’Neill painted “Two Minutes of Silence” shortly after Sept. 11 as a “tribute” to the victims of the terrorist attack. O’Neill has since donated thousands of reprints to fire, rescue and police stations across the nation.

“His goal was to get a copy of this painting in every firehouse in the country,” said Johnson, president of the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts.

Johnson found the artist’s goal in line with the mission of the Marco foundation, which is to promote art in public places.

Johnson contacted O’Neill’s gallery to have a print sent for the Marco Fire Department.

Once Johnson and the foundation received the reprint, they framed it and added a plaque that read, “Thanks for all you do for our community.”

On Thursday, Johnson presented the work to the fire department during a Marco Fire and Rescue Foundation meeting.

“We thought what better way to support our mission — to support the art in public places — than to get the picture to you guys,” Johnson told the firefighters.

Once the firefighters received the print, they held and appraised the work with a gentle reverence.

Chief Mike Murphy, who was also present at the meeting, told Johnson that he appreciated the painting and the work her foundation does in the community.

To learn more about artist Peter O’Neill and his painting, “Two Minutes of Silence,” go to his Web site at www.OneillGallery.com.