Contact: Jennifer Fortney 773/529-7547 jfortney@cascadecomms.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12, 2005 ARTWORK TRANSFORMS AND HEALS THE HUMAN SPIRIT, DAY OF MEMORIAM National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum Opens Two New Exhibits and Holds Dog Tag and New Acquisition Ceremonies Memorial Day 2005 Chicago, IL (May 2005) The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum (NVVAM) presents a day of memoriam through art this Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2005, with the public opening of two new exhibits, “Trauma & Metamorphosis II” and “First to Fight: US Marines in Vietnam, the Early Years”, featuring local artist Michael Wilkins, and ceremonies recognizing the acquisition of works by Dr. Charles Smith and the addition of 10 new dog tags to the Museum’s “Above & Beyond” exhibit. 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 fully 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 these soldiers’ 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 “Trauma & Metamorphosis’” artists endure symptoms of PTSD in varying degrees and have chosen to share their journey of healing through this very special exhibit. Memorial Day activities continue with another exhibit opening “First to Fight: US Marines in Vietnam, the Early Years”, which includes more than 90 works of art created by Marines and Navy Hospital Corpsman. These works encompass the early era of the Vietnam War from the landing of the first Marine combat troops in early 1965 to the Tet Offensive of January 1968. The artwork that makes up “First to Fight” offers an insight into the unique role of the Marine Corps early on in the war. As a small, but hard hitting and self-contained strike force, Marines were the first American combat troops to land in Vietnam and were assigned to protect the combat airbase at Danang and the border of North Vietnam. Highlights of “First to Fight” include two recently surfaced collections of artwork produced in the heat of battle. Created in the mid-sixties, but not shown until now, both are recent donations to the NVVAM’s Permanent Collection. Being shown for the first time are some 55 vintage photographs from the collection of Florida-based architect, photographer, collector and author, Mike Harac, who served with the 3rd Marine Division. The photos were taken between 1965 and 1967 by photographers attached to the 3rd Marine Division and 1st Marine Air Wing. The photo prints largely represent Marines on combat operations, and depict what the war actually looked like to troops in the field. Also on exhibit for the first time are works on paper by Chicago artist Michael Wilkins, drawn from life during his tour with a Marine helicopter unit in Vietnam. A native of south suburban Hazelcrest, Wilkins trained in Illustration and Design at the Chicago Academy of Fine Art and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, prior to joining the Marine Corps. Due to his artistic talent, his Military Occupational Specialty in Vietnam was Topographical Draftsman – he drew maps of enemy positions based on intelligence reports. Wilkins was attached to the Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG16) a helicopter unit based at Marble Mountain south of Danang. Memorial Day’s ceremonies include the acquisition of several sculptures by Marine, self-taught artist, founder, curator and resident artist of the African-American Heritage Museum and Black Veterans Archives, Dr. Charles Smith originally of Aurora. The NVVAM has received eight of Dr. Smith’s sculptures from the Kohler Foundation, Inc., which will now become part of the Museum’s Permanent Collection. They range from 22-52 inches in height and are made from concrete and found objects. The NVVAM will also remember and recognize 10 servicemen, whose names were inscribed in 2004 on the national monument to Vietnam, The Wall, in Washington, DC, with a special dog tag ceremony. Each serviceman’s name has been printed on a dog tag and will be added to the Museum’s one-of-a-kind “Above & Beyond” dog tag exhibit. As each dog tag is hung, the name of the serviceman will be read aloud. Memorial Day’s activities will take place from Noon–4:00 p.m. NVVAM is located at 1801 S. Indiana and is open Tuesday–Friday 11:00a.m.–6:00p.m.; Saturday 10:00a.m.–5:00p.m; Sunday Noon–5:00p.m.; closed Monday. Tickets are $10.00 general admission and $7.00 seniors and students. Call the Museum at 312/326.0270 for information on group admission reservations. 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. 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. Visit www.nvvam.org for more information.