National Veterans Art Museum

02/20/2021

Art Piece At Harold Washington Library Uses Dog Tags To Represent U.S. Soldiers Killed In Vietnam

Today is the 5-year anniversary of the Harold Washington Library Center opening for "Above and Beyond." The memorial work consists of 58,307 dog tags, each representing a person killed in action during the Vietnam War; an additional black tag reminds viewers of those who died from conditions related to their Vietnam War service.

The work had been installed at our previous location, but when we moved to Portage Park it went into storage. We are delighted to display it at the library, where it is viewed by approximately 50,000 annually.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/02/20/art-piece-at-harold-washington-library-uses-dog-tags-to-represent-u-s-soldiers-killed-in-vietnam/

"Above and Beyond" was created by artist Rick Steinbock and veteran artists Ned Broderick, Joe Fornelli and Mike Helbing. The work was commissioned by NVAM and is part of our permanent collection. Please check library hours for viewing at 400 S State St, Chicago.

An art exhibit created by Vietnam War veterans was unveiled today at the Harold Washington Library, reports WBBM’s Mike Krauser.

02/20/2021

Who Cleans All Those Veteran Dog Tags in Museum Exhibit? Young Veterans

"Who cleans all those dog tags?" In 2016 NVAM staff and volunteers were preparing "Above and Beyond" for installation at the Harold Washington Library Center.

58,307 dog tags were taken out of storage. Each dog tag represents a person killed in action during the Vietnam War, and an additional black tag reminds viewers of those who died from conditions related to their Vietnam War service. Workers went through all of the names one by one, making sure there was a dog tag for each veteran, cleaning the dog tags, and preparing them for exhibition.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160125/portage-park/who-cleans-all-those-veteran-dog-tags-museum-exhibit-young-veterans/

"Above and Beyond" was created by artist Rick Steinbock and veteran artists Ned Broderick, Joe Fornelli and Mike Helbing. The work was commissioned by NVAM and is part of our permanent collection. It is on view at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S State St, Chicago. Please check library hours for viewing.

A group of post-9/11 veterans have volunteered to help with a memorial to Vietnam War veterans.

02/17/2021

Did you know that NVAM is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that supports the collection, exhibition, and preservation veteran-created art?

When you donate to NVAM, you directly help the museum grow and preserve its permanent collection, protecting it for future generations.

Donate today at www.nvam.org/donate

02/16/2021

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Join the Intrepid Museum and fellow veterans, service members, and their loved ones for a virtual staycation. We will be Zooming into Chicago to visit the National Veterans Art Museum to view artwork created by veterans, highlighting works by Vietnam War veterans, while experiencing the more artful side of Intrepid’s history. http://bit.ly/2OwFV7k

02/14/2021

Today, on Valentine's Day, we want to echo Frankie J. Howery--we're thinking of you--with appreciation for all the support you continue to provide us during this unique time.

Howery served in Vietnam, in the U.S. Air Force. He says, "I started drawing on the envelopes of letters home on the way over to Vietnam, or just before I left Stateside. I drew the pictures to amuse myself and pass the time, to illustrate the topics of my letters, and to convince my family not to worry about me by injecting some humor into the overall situation."

"Letters Home" by Frankie J. Howery. Collection of National Veterans Art Museum. All rights reserved.

02/11/2021

We are honored to have worked with Black veteran artists since our establishment as a museum. During Black History Month and going forward we will be sharing works in our permanent collection and from our exhibitions.

"Beheaded Marine" is the work of Dr. Charles Smith, who served in Vietnam 1966-68 in the Marine Corps. He is an acclaimed Midwest Regional Artist, activist, minister and historian. He says, “My art addresses racism from a historical perspective. It represents the slaves as well as African-American inventions, contributions and achievements, and defense of the United States."

"Beheaded Marine" by Dr. Charles Smith (b. 1940), mixed media, sculpture. Collection of National Veterans Art Museum, Chicago, IL. All rights reserved.

02/10/2021

Shopping on Amazon?

Select National Veterans Art Museum as your Amazon Smile non-profit and whenever you shop, the museum will receive a small percentage of that sale.

By designating us as your non-profit of choice, you aid in our work of preserving and sharing the veteran experience through visual art.

Click here! https://bit.ly/NVAMAmazonSmile

02/10/2021

Attention veterans and current service members! We invite you to reconnect through making and writing postcards. In a joint program with Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, we will share artworks by US Air Force Vietnam War veteran Frankie J. Howery and use inspiration from Howery’s works to make postcards with household materials. Join us Wednesday, February 10th at 5pm ET via Zoom. Register here: http://bit.ly/3rcDtB6

02/03/2021

With a gift of just $5 a month, we can share the stories of our veterans, preserving their stories and experiences so that future generations can understand what it is to serve.

Make your regular, sustaining gift securely online by visiting www.nvam.org/donate

02/03/2021

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Attention veterans and current service members! We invite yout to reconnect through making and writing postcards. Moki Tantoco, Education and Programs Manager at the National Veteran Art Museum, will share artworks by US Air Force Vietnam War veteran, Frankie J. Howery. We will use inspiration from Howery’s works to make postcards with household materials. Learn more and register here: http://bit.ly/3rcDtB6

01/30/2021

Today is Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. Our hearts are inspired with the museum's artworks and stories, and we love to share them. Here, one of our veteran friends, Andres “Andy” Diaz answers questions about the interactive exhibit, "The Things They Carried.” For those of you interested in exploring the exhibit, connect with NVAM’s Education & Programs Manager, Moki Tantoco at [email protected] to schedule a virtual tour.

01/23/2021

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

NVAM Staff & Volunteers had the pleasure of attending the Intrepid Museum's virtual program in partnership with The National World War II Museum. The history and artifacts covered throughout is captivating! Check out the Live Recording below. And stay tuned for NVAM's partnership with the Intrepid Museum later next month when we launch a virtual art workshop (for veterans only) and NVAM museum tour (free, and everyone is welcome)

Join the Intrepid Museum as we explore The National World War II Museum. The National WWII Museum’s senior historian, Robert Citino, PhD, and curator, Joshua Schick, will be joined by the Intrepid Museum’s curator of history and collections, Jessica Williams, to discuss the Pacific War and collections from both institutions.

01/20/2021

In every work of art there is a story, an experience, and attempt to explain a life lived, and sometimes lost.

By donating to NVAM, your support ensures we can continue honoring the stories and experiences of veteran artists during times of war, peace, or conflict.

Support veteran-created art today at www.nvam.org/donate

01/19/2021

U.S. Marine Corps

Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

A Day On, Not A Day Off

Today, we salute the legacy of diversity and civil rights fueled by the courage of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

01/13/2021

Make a difference while you shop online. Make your purchases while shopping for gifts, supplies, or essentials at smile.amazon.com.

You shop. Amazon gives.

01/06/2021

There are few mediums better suited to capturing incredible human experiences, and none more moving than through visual art.

As a sustaining donor, your monthly gift helps NVAM preserve these stories and allow us to remain a free museum open to all.

Join NVAM as a sustaining member today at www.nvam.org/donate

12/31/2020

Help NVAM continue its important mission of preserving & protecting the veteran experience through world-class art.

All donations are tax deductible. If you love NVAM as much as we do, please consider making a donation.

Make your year-end gift today @ bit.ly/NVAMDonate.

12/30/2020

Did you know that NVAM is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that supports the collection, exhibition, and preservation veteran-created art?

When you donate to NVAM, you directly help the museum grow and preserve its permanent collection, protecting it for future generations.

Donate Now: bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/29/2020

Stop by our virtual exhibition: https://www.nvam.org/asm-fall-2020.html to see the artwork created by the teen artists that participated in NVAM's Fall 2020 remote learning After School Matters program, "Creativity Caught Me Making."

Shout-out to NVAM's ASM instructor, Verónica Casado Hernández and her work with the young artists to engage with NVAM's permanent collection, develop technical art making skills, and research social justice issues to create art with social impact.

NVAM will be doing a remote Spring session starting in March. Our programs fill up quickly, so it's best to get your application in early. Teens can apply online through: https://www.afterschoolmatters.org/

12/29/2020

Supporters of NVAM ensure unfiltered, world-class veteran art continues to inspire reflection.

Make a tax-deductible year-end donation supporting veteran art today.

Support NVAM at bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/28/2020

Please don’t forget about our veterans this holiday season, and the service and sacrifice they made this year and every year.

The mission of NVAM is to support all veterans by helping to share and preserve their stories.

Make your year-end gift here: bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/26/2020

How can you show veterans you will never forget their service or sacrifice?

By making a tax-deductible gift to NVAM before December 31st. NVAM’s art exhibits and diverse programs engage and education.

Donate today at bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/24/2020

All of us at NVAM send you our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy new year!

12/23/2020

Shopping Hack: When you buy your essentials at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates.
You shop. Amazon gives.

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12/22/2020

Kids Rank

Last weekend, NVAM met with Kids Rank to celebrate the forthcoming exhibition catalog, "We Are Resilience: Masks of Hope." The catalog was made possible with support from the
The Allstate Foundation and takes a comprehensive look at the collaborative project from its inception as an arts education partnership for military and veteran children, through development as a museum exhibition. The catalog includes interviews from the participating military and veteran families, and beautifully executed documentary photographs. The catalog will be available January 2021. Anyone making a donation of $50 or more to Kids Rank will receive a catalog. NVAM looks forward to welcoming visitors to the exhibition in person when we can safely be together again.

Thank you to The Allstate Foundation for supporting the We Are Reslience: Masks of Hope exhibition and catalog, a partnership between Kids Rank and the National Veterans Art Museum. The catalog will be available January 2021, any donations made of $50 or more to Kids Rank will receive a catalog. We look forward to having visitors see the exhibition in person soon!

12/22/2020

LAST MINUTE DONATIONS CAN BE MADE HERE!

Supporting NVAM before 2020 is a unique way to honor the experience and stories of veterans in all conflicts.

Give Today: bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/19/2020

Your donations help fund amazing projects like "Above and Beyond."

NVAM invites you to visit the Harold Washington Library at 400 W. State St. in Chicago, IL to see our memorial installation, “Above and Beyond.”

We hope it will inspire you to donate to NVAM.

Donate Today: bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/17/2020

Kids Rank

Happening now! Join us for a virtual tour of NVAM and a conversation on our partnership with Kids Rank

Join us for We are Resilience:Masks of Hope with National Veterans Art Museum

Zoom ID: 711 563 0007
Passcode: Hoorah

12/16/2020

Today marks the 76th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive campaign during WWII. The Germans succeeded in launching a surprise attack through the Ardennes region in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg. Strictly speaking, it is called the Ardennes Offensive, but because it forced a bulge in the Allied front line, it is known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans did not have the resources to punch through the line, and victory was won by the Allies.

NVAM permanent collection artist Kurt Vonnegut Jr enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943 and found himself fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by German soldiers, along with about 50 other Americans.

We know him as a beloved writer who often included witty drawings in his texts. Later he teamed up with print-maker Joe Petro III to turn some of his designs into limited-edition screen prints that are sometimes abstracted, sometimes sharply literal imaginings.

In 2016, as a gift from the Nielsen Family in memory of Faith Ellyn Nielsen, 50 of these prints were added to our permanent collection.

Image: Kurt Vonnegut Jr, "Don't Spoil the Party." Collection of National Veterans Art Museum. All rights reserved.

12/16/2020

Will you Smile at NVAM?
Amazon Smile donates .05% of your purchases to NVAM when you shop online.
Just click the image below, type National Veterans Art Museum into the search bar, and start shopping.
You shop. Amazon gives.

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12/14/2020

Did you know that NVAM is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization that supports the collection, exhibition, & preservation veteran-created art?

When you donate to NVAM, you directly help the museum grow & preserve its permanent collection, protecting it for future generations.

Donate Now: bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/11/2020

We are excited to share our experience partnering with Kids Rank on the "We Are Resilience: Masks of Hope" exhibition. Children of active duty and veteran service members created 100 masks. Please join us for a virtual tour of the exhibition and an exploration into the mental health and well-being of youth who have the unique stressors of military life.

The conversation takes place on Thursday, December 17, 12-1pm CT. Registration is free for everybody! https://support.kidsrank.org/event/foundations-a-conversation-on-military-youth-mental-health-and-well-being/e305419

Photo: Zachary Keltner, NVAM Media Intern. Courtesy of Kids Rank and National Veterans Art Museum. All rights reserved.

12/11/2020

Please help NVAM continue its important mission of preserving & protecting the veteran experience through world-class art. All donations are tax deductible.

If you love NVAM as much as we do, please consider donating. Even $5 can make a difference.

bit.ly/NVAMDonate

12/09/2020

Step One: Sign in to smile.amazon.com
Step Two: Go to Your Account & select Change your Charity
Step Three: Select the National Veterans Art Museum.
Step Four: SHOP!

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12/07/2020

Destroyer U.S.S. Reid was in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Much of her instrumentation was dismantled for servicing, and her boilers were cold. When the Japanese attacked, "No ship was ever put together so fast." She was out of the harbor by mid-morning and served 3 years in the Pacific War.

"U.S.S. REID—DD 369" shows the destroyer's final moments. On December 11, 1944 the REID was near the Philippines protecting a re-supply force when 12 enemy planes attacked, and she went down.

The painting, by NVAM Permanent Collection artist George Klauba, is from the artist’s series of paintings titled, "Nerves on Fire: Reflections on WWII.” These works are an empathetic depiction of some events that occurred during the Pacific War.

Klauba says that as a boy, the stories, tattoos, and souvenirs that WWII veterans returned with "...seared my memory and burned my imagination."

Klauba served in the U.S. Navy as a Quartermaster 2nd Class from 1956-1959. To learn more about the artist and his work, visit NVAM’s Online Collection: http://collection.nvam.org/