New York City artist pushes to install 150-foot US flag at Sept. 11 memorial before anniversary

New York City artist Scott LoBaido, who has made a career out of patriotic artwork, is on a new time-sensitive mission. He wants to install a 150-foot American flag at Ground Zero as a lasting reminder before the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

LoBaido told Just the News this week that more than 88,000 people have signed his petition to put the giant flag at the site and that Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis has offered to fund the installation. 

The artist said he got the idea after he visited the location of the memorial and realized there was an absence of noticeable American flags near the Freedom Tower. He felt called to fill the void.

"I've been a patriotic artist for my last 40 years," LoBaido said Monday on the "Just The News, No Noise" TV show. "I saw patriotism. It was taboo back in the 90s, and I said, 'I'm going to use my art to paint American flags.' I painted flags on buildings in every state throughout this country, and the flag is the most beautiful work of art. 

"I know we're going through a lot of hell right now with patriotism and what's right, what's not," he continued. "We can't do anything without that flag and those who died underneath it. So that flag should not be taboo. It should not be an embarrassment to fly it. The more the merrier. A country that loses its patriotism ceases to become a country."

The artist said that he has given his presentation on the giant flag to the museum and just needs approval from the Port Authority and the museum's board now that he has seen a lot of support from Americans, including "heavy hitters." 

LoBaido added that if approved, he hopes to have the flag installed by Flag Day on June 14, so that it's also up for the anniversary and the Fourth of July, when America celebrates its 250th anniversary. 

Readers who want to support LoBaido's efforts to install the American flag at Ground Zero can sign his petition here.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.