Indiana Art Center Opens Veterans' Exhibition Nov. 1

"Baghdad Guardhouse" by Skip Rohde

Oil on Canvas

 An upcoming Michigan City, Ind., exhibit demonstrates how some artist-veterans are breaching obstacles between military and civilian life, work, and culture. "Citizen * Soldier * Citizen" opens with a reception at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts' Hyndman Gallery, Fri., Nov. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. 

Michigan City is about 60 miles east of Chicago. The exhibit runs thorough Feb. 9, 2014.

Independent scholar, archivist, and art consultant Tara Leigh Tappert curated the works presented, which will include 27 artists from the Combat Paper Project and the Joe Bonham Project.

"The exhibit is arranged by themes—RECORD, REACT, REHABILITATE, and REMEMBER—chosen because the artwork selected reflected experiences by people who had served in the military," Tappert notes. She offers two examples to illustrate:

In REACT, we have a ceramic sculptural piece by Jesse Albrecht called "Ninevah" that gives geography, archeology, and cultural history lessons. Albrecht describes Iraq as "a muse that stalks me." His piece offer a glimpse of the country across time. The ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh—the largest and most powerful city in antiquity—is situated across the Tigris River from present day Mosul, where Albrecht served as a medic. 

In REMEMBER, "Dust Memories," an installation of 39 pieces—19 diptychs and one additional piece, in a mix of media (drawings, paintings, and collages). Aaron Huges attempts to communicate the ambiguous and anxious moments of deployment. Conceived as a repeating cycle, the series is a metaphor for the artist’s own continually repeating thoughts of his experiences in Iraq.

Participating artists also include mil-blogger and artist Skip Rohde. Rohde's work downrange has previously been mentioned on the Red Bull Rising blog here. The artist also recently presented an online slide show of his "Faces of Afghanistan" portraits here. Included in the Michigan City exhibit will be Rohde's oil-painting "Baghdad Guardhouse," pictured above.

Other featured artists include: Robin Brooks, Thomas Dang, Tif Holmes, Ash Kyrie, Malachi Muncy, Jaeson "Doc" Parsons, Giuseppe Pellicano, Donna Perdue, Patrick Sargent, Phillip Schladweller, Zach Skiles, Ehren Tool, and Andrew Wade Nunn.

Running concurrently at the center through Feb. 24, 2014 is "Theater of Conflict." Presented in the Brincka/Cross and Robert Saxton Galleries, the exhibit features artwork from the center's permanent collection, which are focused on themes of political protest, revolution, and war. According to press materials:

• William Weege's highly graphic prints are a chronicle of the unrest of the 1960s with a focus on political protest and the Vietnam War.

• Oskar Graf, a German artist and highly regarded master of the etching process, presents snap shots of World War II.

• Raphael Canogar, a Spanish print maker, features bold, heavy and graphic work that deals with political struggle and revolution in Spain in the 1960s.

The Lubeznik Center for the Arts is located at 101 W. 2nd Street, Michigan City, Ind. The center is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; weekends 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Veterans, Artists Seek to Print Books on Forgotten War

A group of comic-book artists, veterans, and military supporters have launched a crowd-funding effort to make two graphic novels commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War available to the public. Originally created on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense for a June 27, 2013 commemoration, the graphic novels were never printed—possibly due to budget sequestration.

Coincidentally, the Korean War is sometimes called "The Forgotten War," because of the lack of public attention it received during and after the conflict.

The project fund-raising page is here.

Clayton Murwin, founder of Heroes Fallen Studios Inc., is the comic-book impresario who spearheaded the project. "These stories need to be told, they need to be put out there for the public, so that they'll be a lasting legacy," he says in a 7-minute fund-raising video recently posted on Kickstarter.

Since copyright has been returned to the artists, Murwin and his fellow creators are seeking just $2,500 to help prepare the two finished, 50-page volumes for publication via a print-on-demand service. Depending on final production costs, says Murwin, the volumes should retail between $15 and $25 each. The fund-raising campaign ends 12 noon Eastern Standard Time, Sat., Nov. 16, 2013.

Participants contributing $5 or more will receive a copy of the 72-page comic "Untold Stories From Iraq & Afghanistan," a collection of veterans' war stories and pin-ups published by Heroes Fallen in 2011.

Contributors to the Korean War volumes include: Jerry Bingham, Valierie Finnigan, Fletcher Horton, Levi Erickson, Scott Lee, Richard Meyer, Travis Miller, Clayton Murwin, Dan Monroe, Tom Orzechowski, Brian Shearer, Le Beau L. Underwood, and Eric White. A number of contributors are military veterans themselves.

Murwin recommends the books for most ages—the graphic novels aren't too graphic—although he cautions parents to preview the works before handing them off to younger children. After all, one can't accurately depict war without depicting a certain amount of violence. "[The project is] not so much about the violence," Murwin says, however, "it's about the sacrifice and dedication these veterans put through their service."

"Korean War, Vol. 1" tells stories centered around the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, which occurred in November and December 1950. The book is written and illustrated by Richard C. Meyer, colored by Eric White, and lettered by Tom Orzechowski. Meyer is a U.S. veteran of the Iraq War, having served in the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from 2000 to 2004. He served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2010, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously wrote and illustrated the 2008 comic "No Enemy, but Peace," which tells the story how U.S. Marine Sgt. Marco Martinez earned the Silver Star at the 2003 Battle of At-Tarmiyah, Iraq.

Meyer's Chosin Reservoir narrative moves from the ground war to that of Lt. j.g. Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy's first African-American aviator, as well as his squadron-mate Lt. Thomas Hunter. Flying carrier-based F4U "Corsairs," Brown and Hunter were providing air-support to U.S. forces encircled at Chosin Reservoir when Brown's aircraft was hit by enemy fire. Hudner deliberately crash-landed to aid Brown, who was trapped in his cockpit. Hudner was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, while Brown was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

"Korean War, Vol. II" comprises four stories derived from interviews with Korean War veterans conducted by Gulf War veteran and PTSD-awareness activist Scott Lee. Those stories include:

• "Hill 472," a story of U.S. Army Cpl. Ronald Rosser, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Cover art by Jerry Bingham, colors by Eric White, script by Valerie Finnigan and Scott Lee, pencils by Dan Monroe, inks by Brian Shearer, and letters by Tom Orzechowski.

• "Guts," a story of U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Gen. Frederick "Boots" Blesse. Qualified on multiple fighter aircraft, inluding the F-86 "Sabre," Blesse is the nation's sixth-ranking fighter jet ace.

• "Seventeen," a story of U.S. Army Pvt. David Mills, who was 17 years old when he was taken prisoner during the defense of Outpost Harry.

• "Valor," a story of U.S. Army Cpl. Rodolfo "Rudy" Hernandez, who was once declared dead after the defense of Hill 420, about 15 miles south of the current border. During that action, Hernandez fixed his bayonet and charged, killing six enemy fighters before losing consciousness from grenade, bayonet and bullet wounds. He is a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

For more information about Heroes Fallen Studios Inc., click here. Or visit the organization's blog here.

For the Heroes Fallen Inc. Facebook page, click here.

For the Korean War project's Kickstarter page, click here. For a fund-raising video, see below:

High School to Memorialize 'Red Bull' Soldier, Alumnus

A group of Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) Senior High School students, assisted by social studies teachers, will celebrate the life of a citizen-soldier and 2009 alumnus in an upcoming Veterans Day ceremony, according to a news report by the Waterloo (Iowa) Courier-Journal.

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan, April 20, 2011 - U.S. Army Spc. Jacob Ketelaar (left), 
an infantryman from Waverly, Iowa, and U.S. Army Sgt. Edward Kane (right), 
a team leader from Portland, Ore., pay their final respects at the memorial stand 
of Spc. Donald Lee Nichols during an April 18, 2011 service at FOB Mehtar Lam.
Photo by U.S. Army Spc. James Wilton, Task Force Red Bulls Public Affairs

Iowa Army National Guard Spc. Donald L. Nichols, 21, of Shell Rock was killed April 13, 2011 in Eastern Afghanistan's Laghman Province, when an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) detonated under the vehicle in which he was traveling.

Nichols was a member of headquarters company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment (1-133rd Inf.), headquartered in Waterloo.

While attending Waverly-Shell Rock High School, Nichols had been on the wrestling team. He enlisted in the National Guard shortly after his 18th birthday.

According to the newspaper, the student-led assembly will take place 10:30 a.m., Nov. 11, 2013. During the ceremony, a memorial marker will be placed at the school. The event will take approximately 25 minutes.

In a 2011 memorial service for Nichols conducted in Afghanistan, battalion commander Lt. Col. Steve Kremer said: "Spc. Nichols is a true testament of being a great American with his decision to support this country, knowing that he would deploy to Afghanistan. Spc. Nichols will be remembered as a hero, a friend and a great soldier."

Nichols was one of four Iowa citizen-soldiers killed during the 2010-2011 deployment of Iowa's 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division to Afghanistan.