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The “In America: Remember" art exhibition in Washington, DC, honors those who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S.

A beloved University of Kansas professor who died at the end of last year from COVID-19 is among the hundreds of thousands of people remembered in an art exhibition in Washington, D.C.

“In America: Remember,” by Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, blankets the National Mall with small white flags to honor each person who has died in the United States from COVID-19, according to the exhibition website. The exhibit will be open until Oct. 3 and invites visitors to personalize flags for someone they have lost. People can also view a live webcam of the exhibition and dedicate a flag on the exhibition’s website.

KU professor Mark Richter died on Dec. 26 at the age of 69 after seven weeks of fighting COVID-19, as the Journal-World previously reported. Richter was a father of four and an Australian cattle auctioneer turned biochemistry professor. He taught at KU for 33 years, mentored dozens of students and won various teaching awards.

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Julia Gegenheimer, daughter of Lan and Peter Gegenheimer of Lawrence and family friend of the Richters, places a flag honoring late University of Kansas professor Mark Richter into the “In America: Remember” art exhibition in Washington, DC.

photo by: contributed photo

A white flag with a message honoring late University of Kansas professor Mark Richter is included in the “In America: Remember” art exhibition in Washington, DC.

Kim Richter, Mark Richter’s wife of 36 years, told the Journal-World that a family friend who lives in D.C. wrote down the family’s message on one of the flags so that it could be included with the memorial. It reads in part that Richter was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, mentor and friend, and ends with the message “We miss you terribly.”

About 2,000 people continue to die of COVID-19 per day in the U.S., and the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic has now reached approximately 695,000, according to national databases. In Douglas County, 97 people have died of COVID-19, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health data. On Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly ordered flags throughout the state to be flown at half-staff to honor COVID-19 victims as Kansas exceeded 6,000 reported deaths, as The Associated Press reported.

photo by: contributed photo

The “In America: Remember” art exhibition in Washington, DC, honors those who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S.