'Transcend'
I am excited for this painting to be included in Volume 4 of the nonprofit group, 'Bullets And Bandaids'. I will be touring the south in a group exhibition starting this January. (Link to calendar below) It is started by a former marine, Robert LeHeup, that found common issues amongst veterans. Once receiving a Bachelors focusing on Writing for Media Arts, he started is using art as a means to help communicate the veteran's perspective and connect with others experiencing the same.
It has been refreshing to contribute to this organization. I have been making art about subject matter people tend to mentally suppress. It was a great fit being paired with the interview of documentarian Frederick Marx. He has been documenting how many of our veterans are dealing with the trauma experienced while being in the military. I have a belief that it should be standard for individuals to have healing time and mental health support while completing their service. This, I understand, is counter intuitive to the bravo mindset needed to be the soldiers our country utilizes on a steady basis, so I understood Marx’s mention of the “reverse boot camp”.
I find it encouraging to hear there are non-profit organizations for soldiers to have time to sort out the emotions from their extraversion, and it being similar to what our indigenous population used for thousands of years. This is what resonated with me for the oil painting I contributed, ‘Transcend’. I thought of how the United States could use a similar mindset for our veterans, and it have an understanding that the duties can be difficult to handle once returning home to their families and friends. I am with Marx’s agreement of Bessel van der Kolk’s theories within ‘How the Body Keeps the Score’. It is an excellent resource for understanding how trauma effects our minds and bodies. Our soldiers need acknowledgement and steady mental health care in order to be able to function in their everyday lives, and I was happy to create a visual of this ideal.
Website:
Upcoming Events:
Tour Dates:
Savannah, GA Savannah Station 601 Cohen St, Savannah, GA 31401 Friday January 20 – Saturday January 21 5pm-9pm both days Charlotte, NC Charlotte Art League 4100 Raleigh St, Charlotte, NC 28213-4600 (walking distance from the Sugar Creek Light Rail station) Friday January 27 – Saturday January 28 5pm-9pm both days Asheville, NC One World Brewing 520 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806 Friday February 10 – Saturday February 11 5pm-9pm both days Charleston, SC SC Society Hall 72 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC February12 - February 13th 5pm-10pm both days *one hour more than the others* Augusta, GA Sacred Heart Cultural Center Wednesday February 22 – Thursday February 23 5pm-9pm both days Columbia, SC Columbia Museum of Art 1515 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Opening March 2nd 5pm-10pm Juried Exhibit runs from March 2nd-July 9th
(to be determined)