Exhibit to feature art by veterans

Flags flying over Korea were photographed by a veteran and are now part of the inspiration for a work created by Helen White. -submitted photo

It's a face, staring into the distance, searching for escape from the horrors its wearer has experienced. It's a view of the uniquely beautiful scenery surrounding the military base. It's a child, a mother, a shadow, a farmer and his livestock or men eating Thanksgiving dinner.

Such are the subjects of what's become known as "war art." Not a genre, exactly, the right word to describe it eludes the viewer, because there's not just one word to describe it. Some create "war art" to work through a myriad of emotions left behind by the experience of war. Some create it simply to capture the moment, to record what they saw while in a war-torn land. Some of what they saw, in fact, was just every day life, and every day events going on around them.

It's this type of art that's to be on display at the Springs Gallery, in El Dorado Springs, Aug. 11-Oct. 8.

"The thing is, these artists have trouble finding places to display and sell their work," said local artist Helen White, whose Vietnam-themed war art has exhibited at the Veterans of America Art Museum in Chicago, Ill., and at special exhibits in Washington, D.C., and in Texas.

Art about war is nothing new; it's been around for centuries; probably as long as there have been wars, there have been artists whose work had themes relating to war.

But in some cases, art about war; especially art about the horrors of war, has been aggressively discouraged -- politically an socially, White pointed out.

German artists who focused on scenes of war were discouraged by the Hitler regime; and just being a veteran at the time of the Vietnam War was unpopular for years afterwards.

For example, White noted, "One veteran told me that he told his people he was in jail," when they asked about his absence during which he'd served in Vietnam.

It took years for the art work of Vietnam veterans to become accepted and appreciated; and the themes are still sometimes hard to look at; hard to fathom. In the opening remarks of "Vietnam Reflexes and Reflections," from the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, Sondra Varco, author and executive director of the museum explains.

"They made the art, and then hid it away. Most trusted no one to tell their stories to. Very few nonveterans had the courage to listen to their stories."

She explains that, in 1979, gallery owners "considered them too controversial, too political to exhibit...Yet the art itself was not political at all."

But the message, the story the art has to tell is real, and valuable, White says.

"No matter how they tell it, or what part they tell, they have something to say," White said.

She, along with several other local artist, will be exhibiting work in the show. She's planning a piece based on the photos of a Korean War veteran.

Beyond simply depicting what they saw, sometimes making and displaying the art is therapeutic. The telling can be just for the recording of what they saw and experienced, for helping themselves or others work through traumatic memories, or to convey a remembered emotion, a moment, a thought, a scene, to the onlooker.

Ruth Cannady, the gallery's coordinator, says the Veterans of America exhibit at the Springs Gallery is an opportunity for artists using a wide variety of media to exhibit their work, some of which will be offered for sale

"Many different media have been introduced, from paintings, vases, fiber art, books, slide shows, maps and woodwork. The Springs Gallery has had a large amount of interest in the upcoming exhibition," Cannady said.

The Veterans of America exhibit opens on Aug. 11 at noon and will continue through Oct. 8.

An open house reception will be on Aug. 11, noon-7 p.m., when visitors will have the opportunity to meet and talk to veterans.

The regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 p.m., or by appointment.

Any veteran who is interested in being involved in The Veterans of America art exhibition should call Ruth Cannady on (417) 296-3659 for details.