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October 19, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIONAL VETERANS ART MUSEUM ANNOUNCES EXHIBITION TRAVELING TO RUSSIA
40 Pieces from the Permanent Collection to be on Display at St. Petersburg Museum of Political History
Chicago, Ill. (October 2012) – The National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) announced today that its latest traveling exhibition, War Paint, will open at the Museum of Political History in St. Petersburg, Russia in early December 2012.
War Paint is the largest exhibition from the NVAM’s permanent collection to travel internationally. The show includes such luminary Vietnam-era artists as Joe Fornelli, Mike Helbing, Michael Kelley, Richard J. Olsen, Charlie Shobe and Richard Yohnka and post-9/11 artists including Ash Kyrie and Aaron Hughes. The exhibition features 40 paintings, photographs, and sculptures. Iconic works in the exhibit include Charles Salerno’s “Honoring and Remembering,” Marcus Eriksen’s “Angel in the Desert,” and Helen White’s “Sharon Lane.”
The exhibition is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and curated by Ted Stanuga, creative director of the NVAM. It will travel to St. Petersburg in early December 2012 and remain on display until February 15, 2013.
Executive Director Levi Moore stated, “We are thrilled that the State Department is bringing the expression of military experience to patrons in St. Petersburg. This remarkable survey of the NVAM’s extensive collection should spark some very interesting discussions over the real impact of war and the relationship between Russian and American experiences of conflict.”
Helen White, a Vietnam nurse whose oil painting “Sharon Lane” will be traveling to Russia, commented, "My work reflects the timeless and enduring human will to survive and thrive. I'm proud to be a war artist in a place where 800,000 plus people died in the 900 Day Siege of Leningrad."
Peggy Parfenoff, Executive Director of WorldChicago, commended the traveling exhibition. According to Parfenoff, “WorldChicago is inspired by the role the National Veterans Art Museum is playing to bring the powerful art in their collection to the people of Russia who are interested in U.S. political, military and civic history and artistic expression. It's exciting to see such a unique institution engaging with the world in Citizen Diplomacy through art--and bringing attention to Chicago's artistic and cultural diversity--in such an innovative way.”
Congressman Mike Quigley praised the exhibition, stating, “I commend the National Veterans Art Museum’s dedication to its mission of inspiring a greater understanding of the real impact of war and am pleased to see the work in the museum’s collection reach an international audience. It’s a pleasure to see so many Chicago artists represented at the gallery in St. Petersburg, and I hope this is the start of many international exhibitions of veteran artwork.”
About the National Veterans Art Museum
The National Veterans Art Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of art inspired by combat and created by veterans. No other gallery in the world focuses on the subject of war from an artistic perspective, making this collection truly unique. The National Veterans Art Museum addresses both historical and contemporary issues related to military service in order to give patrons of all backgrounds insight into the effects of war and to provide veterans an artistic outlet to work through their military and combat experiences.
The National Veterans Art Museum is located at 4041 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Starting November 11, 2012, the National Veterans Art Museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 general admission and $7.00 seniors and students. Admission is free for veterans and active military and their dependents. For group admission reservations, call the Museum at 312/326-0270 or visit www.nvam.org.
Patrons of the museum can access art from the permanent collection and biographical information on the artists through the NVAM Collection Online, a recently launched online and high-resolution archive of every piece of art in the museum’s permanent collection. The NVAM Collection Online can be found at www.nvam.org/collection-online.
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