Tuesday, July 21, 2026

6:00 pm CST

Harold Washington Library Center
7th Floor Authors Room
400 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60605

Mel Lyons is an artist, educator, and Marine Corps vet that worked in education for nearly two decades teaching art, theatre & science. He has painted and taught workshops for the National Veterans Art Museum and hosted a TV show for the museum on Chicago's CANTV where he later served as a board member. He was a producer and host of the weekly Coffee Breaks radio show at Que4 radio, and he is a founding member of the The Microphone Misfitz collective since returning home from Iraq in 2003. He has traveled around the world sharing his love of music, comic books and art. This includes a historic trip to China in 2018, 3 years after the country banned hip hop.

Monday, July 27, 2026

2:00-3:30PM CST

Video Theater, Lower Level
Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60605

Join us for a special screening of Above and Beyond: The Story of Cpl. William T. Perkins, Jr. USMC, presented in partnership with the National Veterans Art Museum and followed by a conversation with the film’s producer, Debora Masterson.

September 11, 2026

National Veterans Art Museum
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave, 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60641

Never Forget: 9/11 25th Anniversary is a multi-layered tribute marking 25 years since September 11, 2001, weaving together video narratives and portrait photography from across the UIC community to create a space for collective memory and reflection.

Saturday, September 12, 2026

10:00am - 12:00 pm CST

National Veterans Art Museum
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave, 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60641

Join us at the museum to learn printmaking techniques and create handmade cards. Your cards will bring cheer to veterans and their families receiving care at Jesse Brown VA and Hines VA, as well as military-connected children served by Kids Rank and Blue Star Families.