EXHIBIT OPENING ALERT Contact: Jennifer Fortney 773/529-7547 jfortney@cascadecomms.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 28, 2005 EXHIBIT OPENING ALERT HOW ARTWORK TRANSFORMS AND HEALS THE HUMAN SPIRIT National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum Opens Trauma & Metamorphosis II Memorial Day Weekend 2005 WHAT: The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum opens Trauma & Metamorphosis II Memorial Day Weekend 2005. While the stigma against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder continues, veterans around the country have found a way to let the healing process begin—making art. Although many may never recover, creating art has provided a chance for them to express the joy, pain, fear and devastation of their experiences in Vietnam, becoming an outlet for their inner voices. The artistic process, alone, has been an essential ingredient for the recipe of good mental health and spiritual nourishment; something they never had before. It has taken several veterans 20 years to begin using art to explore their past experiences, their emotions towards those life-altering moments. Trauma & Metamorphosis II shows the transfiguration of one’s memories of the atrocities they’ve experienced, turning it into art. For the first time, these veterans and artists gain some measure of control over their Vietnam traumas, allowing the process of healing to begin. All of T&MII’s artists endure symptoms of PTSD in varying degrees and they have chosen to share their journey of healing through this very special exhibit. The itinerary of events for Memorial Day also include the opening of a now untitled exhibit, and a memorial program with the hanging of dog tags of three recently named soldiers to the NVVAM Above and Beyond exhibit. WHO: The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum (NVVAM) is located in Chicago’s South Loop and houses over 500 works of art, including paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry and music. All the works in the Museum’s permanent collection were created and comprised by 125 artists, who chronicled their individual experiences from the Vietnam War. The artwork presented at the Museum provides a unique viewpoint on war for all visitors. The collection is born from the sheer sentiment of those who personally experienced the immediate suffering and realities of war. Visit www.nvvam.org for more information. WHERE: 1801 S. Indiana Avenue, Chicago, IL, 312/326-0270 WHEN: Memorial Day 2005, Monday, May 30. The exhibit will remain open through September. HOURS: NVVAM’s winter hours are: Tuesday-Friday 11:00a.m.-6:00p.m.; Saturday 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m; Sunday Noon-5:00 p.m. and closed on Monday. TICKETS: G.A. tickets are available at the door. Discounted group tickets for available online, www.nvam.org, or by calling 312/326-0270. In 1981, a few Vietnam combat veterans created an artistic and historical collection that would become a timeless, humanistic statement of war on behalf of all veterans for future generations. The exhibit toured the United States and later found a permanent home with the help of Mayor Richard Daley, at 1801 S. Indiana. Today, the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum (NVVAM) is still located in Chicago's South Loop and houses over 500 works of art, including paintings, photography, sculpture, poetry and music. All the works in the Museum's permanent collection were created and comprised by 125 artists, who chronicled their individual experiences from the Vietnam War. The artwork presented at the Museum provides a unique viewpoint on war for all visitors. The collection is born from the sheer sentiment of those who personally experienced the immediate suffering and realities of war. It's clear the artists have experienced the creative and spontaneous insight, and intuition, that comes from witnessing the magnitude of human combat first-hand.