A Fine Helping of Art For, By And About Veterans Begins Sunday

An Iraq infantryman named Zero offers a compelling introduction to this post, which brings together a number of art programs and exhibits taking place on television and in galleries and statehouses and theaters across the country this summer and fall.

The one common denominator: the fusion of expression through art and the experience of war.


In educational interest, article(s) quoted from extensively.

Zero explains how he uses his artwork to express himself and what he knows of combat:



First, from the Ohio statehouse, a must-see exhibit:

Where :
Statehouse
Columbus OH, 43215
Representatives' Hall

What : The Lima Company Memorial: A Remembrance of Spirit & Choice will be on view at the Ohio Statehouse in Representatives' Hall through Veterans Day weekend, 2008 during normal Statehouse hours. Hours include weekdays, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. and weekends 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The exhibition will be free and open to the public.

The exhibition was created in memory of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from the Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005.

The Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit, once known as "Lucky Lima," was one of the hardest hit single units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, suffering deaths of 22 Marines and their Navy Corpsman. Created by Columbus artist Anita Miller, the memorial contains life-sized paintings of each of the 23 fallen heroes. Names and statistics of each of the fallen men, an ever-living candle, boots and space for visitors to leave mementos are part of this moving memorial installation.

Miller has worked during the last two years to create and paint the memorial. She has created eight painted panels set in an octagon that depict portraits of each of the 23 men who lost their lives in the war.

The Ohio Statehouse serves as a solemn place to honor these American service members through November 11, 2008 in Representatives' Hall.

An excellent local news segment in which the artist and family members of Lima Company introduce you to the project and their special boys:



Next, this from Broadcast & Cable:

Ovation TV will examine the ways in which war has been depicted in art with The Art of War, which kicks off a week of war-related programming on the arts network beginning Aug. 17.

The programming schedule will feature classic films and documentaries, including Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket,as well as the U.S. premiere of War Oratorio, a musical meditation on the effects of war in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Uganda. OvationTV.com will also feature the work of award-winning photojournalist Zoriah, who was embedded with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Coming on the eve of the national political conventions where the topic of war will be front and center, The Art of War will explore the myriad of ways artists have attempted to deal with the subject,” said Kris Slava, senior vice president of programming and production for Ovation TV.

“It is one of the great pragmatic functions of art -- when weighty decisions have to be made, human beings turn to art to distill insight, understanding and even solace out of chaos and suffering,” he added. “These programming selections are certainly powerful examples of that function.”

From Metromix Baltimore:

Playwright Michael Weller will have a busy September — two plays at two different off-Broadway theaters. First up is "Beast," opening Sept. 15 at New York Theatre Workshop. It's the tale of two wounded Iraq War vets (played by Logan Marshall-Green and Corey Stoll) who make their way across America to Texas and a visit with their Commander in chief, portrayed by Larry Pine. Preview performances begin Aug. 29 for this production, which is directed by Jo Bonney.

From Marketwatch:

Art as Public Discourse

America's Road Home will also leverage art as a form of public discourse as it hosts the "Veteran Vehicle Project," a new work of art by internationally renowned projection artist, Krzysztof Wodiczko. The 45-minute multi-media presentation will run at dusk from August 22-29 and will feature audio and images of interviews with homeless veterans and their families.

This powerful discourse on the issues faced by our veteran population will be projected from a Humvee onto the wall of the Aromor building, an historic hotel at 13th and Grant in Denver that Mercy Housing Colorado is transforming into a permanent supportive home for more than 65 formerly homeless individuals. Through funding from ARH, the Schaden Family Fund, the City and County of Denver and others, Mercy Housing will also be able to help residents connect with the services they need to stabilize their lives and stay off the streets.

From Artist Trust:

The Seattle PI says "Tikka Sears' 'work created under compulsion' is a powerful exploration" of the struggles" of people forced to create in order to survive. Connection and alienation drive this bold visually stunning theater piece first presented at the 2007 NW New Works Festival. This multimedia theater production features innovative movement and projection. Audience members are encouraged to contribute stories by visiting: www.memorywartheaterproject.com

Work created under compulsion is inspired by characters and individuals throughout history who have been forced to create/work in order to stay alive. This piece juxtaposes and interlaces the stories of border crossers, Scheherazade, a Holocaust survivor and a veteran of the Iraq War. Research was drawn from newspaper articles and NPR interview with Dina Babbitt, Internet blogs of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, video interviews with community members and the Persian tales from One Thousand and One Nights.

Dates:

September 1st as part of Bumbershoot Arts Festival at 6:30PM FREE with Bumbershoot entrance

September 3-6 at 8:00PM, September 6th at 2:00PM:
$15-$30 Pay-What-You-Can
$10 for Seniors, Students and TPS Members
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/39482

Creation of this work was made possible in part by an Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship and Gap Grant, City Artist Funding from the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and 4Culture special projects funding. The Memory War Theater Project is a project of the Shunpike.

Location:

Center House Theatre
(at the Seattle Center)
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109

www.memorywarth

From artnet:

PORTRAITS OF WOMEN VETS IN RICHMOND

Over 180,000 women have served in the U.S. military in combat zones, and the Visual Arts Center of Richmond in Richmond, Va. (founded in 1963 by Elisabeth Scott Bocock as the Hand Workshop) is launching the 2007-08 art season with an exhibition focusing on women combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. "When Janey Comes Marching Home: Women Combat Veterans," Sept. 12-Dec. 14, 2008, a collaboration between author-filmmaker Laura Browder and photojournalist Sascha Pflaeging, presents large-format color photographs and accompanying oral histories of more than 40 female soldiers. According to the curators, the exhibition "will unsettle our fixed ideas about Americans at war and add dimension to the often flawed or fragmentary pop culture depictions of women in the military." For more information, see www.visarts.org

The following is not an event, per se, but rather a call for artwork from veterans listed in the Brooklyn Eagle:

BAY RIDGE — The Brooklyn Campus of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System is calling for “Veteran-Centric-Art” for a National Poster Project on the Afghanistan/Iraq War.

The Veteran Art National Poster Project deadline for submissions of veteran art for the 13”x19” National Afghanistan/Iraq War Poster is Sept. 15. Art may be realistic or abstract and all media are accepted. To arrange to drop off your artwork and for more information, please call Creative Arts Therapy Coordinator Melanie Zarabi. Ms. Zarabi can be reached at (718) 836-6600, ext. 1255. The winning artwork will be made into a poster for Veterans Day 2008.

The contest was initiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Compensated Work Therapy Program (CWTP) and sponsored by the National Office of Psychosocial Rehabilitation of the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA), and all veterans and veteran groups are encouraged to participate. The mission of the CWTP is to provide a realistic and meaningful vocational opportunity to veterans; encouraging successful reintegration into the community at the veterans’ highest functional level.

From Broadway World:

Culture Project (Allan Buchman, Artistic Director) announced today two new shows that will comprise the 2008 fall season – it will next present the New York Premiere of the award-winning play In Conflict (beginning September 18), a compelling portrait of Iraq War veterans speaking out on duty, loss and the fight to stay alive.

In Conflict

Based on Yvonne Latty’s ground-breaking book
Adapted and Directed by Douglas C. Wager
Previews begin September 18, 2008
Opening Night September 24, 2008

In Conflict is a compelling portrait of Iraq War veterans speaking out on duty, loss and the fight to stay alive amid one of the most controversial conflicts in modern American history. Based on Yvonne Latty’s acclaimed 2006 book of the same name, the stage version of In Conflict, adapted and directed by three-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Douglas C. Wager, will begin performances on September 18, 2008 at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street). Opening night is set for Wednesday, September 24.

In Conflict captures the unheard voices and unpredictable experiences of 17 Iraq War veterans whose lives have been changed forever. Featuring men and women from all branches and ranks, Republican and Democrat, straight and gay, immigrants and natives, hailing from all parts of the country, these remarkable veterans represent America and its complexity. In Conflict answers the question so often asked of soldiers when they return home: What happened? Their honest answers and unbelievable accounts will change the way we think about war.

From Lioness: The Film:

Lioness tells the story of a group of female Army support soldiers who became the first women in American history to be sent into direct ground combat in violation of official policy. Without sufficient training but with a commitment to serve as needed, these young women ended up fighting in some of the bloodiest counterinsurgency battles of the Iraq war. Lioness makes public, for the first time, this hidden history.

Told through intimate accounts, journal excerpts, archival footage, as well as interviews with military commanders, the film follows five Lioness women who served together for a year in Iraq. With captivating detail, this probing documentary reveals the unexpected consequences that began by using these Army women to defuse tensions with local civilians, but resulted in their fighting alongside Marine combat units in the streets of Ramadi. Together the women's candid narratives describing their experiences in Iraq and scenes from their lives back home form a portrait of the emotional and psychological effects of war from a female point of view.

Screenings:

Friday, September 19, 2008
Center for Media, Culture, and History, New York University
Screening and discussion with filmmakers
4-6 pm, Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th Street
http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/media/

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Visual Arts Center of Richmond Screening
7 pm Visual Arts Center of Richmond
Richmond, VA
http://visarts.org

Sunday, September 28, 2008
Panel discussion: When Janey comes Marching Home: Portraits of Women Combat Veterans
Visual Arts Center of Richmond
Richmond, VA
http://visarts.org/exhibitions/upcoming

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Independent Lens' Community Cinema screenings
Schedule and locations to be posted soon.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/getinvolved/cinema/

Thursday, October 16, 2008
New York Women in Film and Television
http://www.nywift.org

Saturday, October 18, 2008
Panel on Women and War
Academy Women Fifth Annual Leadership Symposium
Washington, DC

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Broadcast on Independent Lens, PBS - 9 pm
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/

Monday, April 13, 2009
Images Cinema
Williamstown, MA
http://www.imagescinema.org/

From Atlanta Performs:

Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter
Company - Synchronicity Performance Group
Date - 10/02/2008
Start Time - 8:00 pm
End Time - 10:00 pm
Price - $15.00 - $23.00

Description
How do you face your children when you can’t face down your demons? On her first day back from a tour of duty in Iraq, Jenny Sutter isn’t ready to go home. She escapes to Slab City, a concrete garden of wandering souls. The strange assortment of residents, including a pleasure-addicted maven with a gambling problem and an unlikely preacher might just be the key to bring Jenny’s spirit back from the war and lead the way home.

Location
Synchronicity at 7 Stages Back Stage Theatre
1105 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta - Little 5 Points, Grant Park, East Atlanta, GA, 30307
Box Office - 404-484-8636

From Huffington Post:

Paul Chan often contemplates the apocalypse. Chan's most recent exhibition 7 Lights unfolds as enigmatic encounters with light and darkness with general references to 9/11, the war in Iraq, and the terrorist violence around the world. With stunning simplicity, shadows play in animated landscapes while bodies tragically fall through the air and silhouettes of guns float skyward among cell phones and birds. Best known for his politically charged projects that toe and often cross the line between art and activism, Chan recently staged a production of Samuel Beckett's iconic play, Waiting for Godot in the 9th Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and has even created a free map of New York which was produced during the Republican National Convention for protestors, pinpointing convention events, delegates' hotels and public toilets. His works are pointed and relevant without being excessively angry or aggressive, allowing us to draw the connections between contemporary art and current events. Tune in to listen to Paul Chan and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist chat about Chan's work here. Chan's exhibition on view at Greene Naftali, New York opens October 23.

In a frame free from distractions, photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' subjects stare directly into his camera and make eye contact with the viewer. Using a large film format, his technique has been poignantly honest when capturing porn stars with their clothes on an off as well as political and celebrity figures. In his recent series, "Injured Soldiers," of wounded Iraq war veterans, Greenfield-Sanders confronts the less publicized and devastating aspects of war with the same honest power and compassion. Six Army veterans and four Marines were photographed in conjunction with the documentary, "Alive Day Memories" that premiered last September on HBO Dawn Halfaker, a West Point graduate, holds the prosthesis for her missing right arm; decorated Marine John Jones stands dressed in uniform from the waist up, while exposing his two robotic legs. The series "Injured Soldiers" has been on view at museums and galleries internationally, most recently in Tokyo where one visitor commented, "We need to see these photos. We don't think about war or talk about it usually." Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' The Black List Project, featuring 22 portraits of African Americans is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston through October 26.

If you know of any others, please share them in comments.


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