Witness to War to Open at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at Lebanon Valley College

Witness to War will run from Nov. 2–Dec. 16, 2018 at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery of Lebanon Valley College. Examining combat-themed art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Witness to War provides a poignant introspective of the lived experience of war and its aftermath. Through photographs, sculptures, and paintings, including works of retired Marine and former combat artist Michael D. Fay and other notable historical and working war artists, the exhibition looks at war through a scattering of moments, altogether raw and starkly intimate.

Fay, also a Lebanon Valley College adjunct professor of art & visual culture, co-curated Witness to War with Dr. Barbara McNulty, director of the Gallery. In developing the exhibit, they received additional assistance from Dr. Tara Leigh Tappert, an independent scholar and activist focusing on arts and the military.

The opening reception for Witness to War will be Friday, Nov. 9, from 5–7 p.m. in Zimmerman Recital Hall in the Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

During the exhibit, the Gallery will host a Veteran’s Writing Project Workshop and a Veteran Papermaking Workshop by the Peace Paper Project. Also in conjunction with Witness to War is the inaugural performance of MEMORIA: A Cantata for the Centenary of the Armistice, composed by Dr. Scott H. Eggert, Lebanon Valley College professor emeritus of music, and performed by Dr. Christopher Kiver, conductor of the Pennsylvania State University Concert Choir. A joint presentation by Michael D. Fay, a retired U.S. Marine Corps chief warrant officer, artist, and adjunct professor of art & visual culture at LVC, and Dr. Tara Leigh Tappert, an independent scholar and activist focusing on arts and the military, will offer penetrating insights into the power of the creative arts in facilitating healing among returning war veterans. This lecture is part of the LVC 2018–2019 Colloquium Series on “Power.”

Additional information regarding events related to the exhibit:

Music Performance | Nov. 4, 3 p.m. | Lutz Hall, Blair Music Center

MEMORIA: A Cantata for the Centenary of the Armistice | Composed by Dr. Scott H. Eggert, Lebanon Valley College professor emeritus of music. Performed by Dr. Christopher Kiver conducting the Pennsylvania State University Concert Choir. Tour of the Gallery before the performance, 2–2:30 p.m.

 

Veteran’s Writing Project and Workshop | Nov. 15

Lecture | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.

Healing Wounded Warriors Through the Arts and Nature

Writing Workshop | 1–3 p.m.

Frederick Foote, retired U.S. Navy physician, author, and director of the Warrior Poetry Project at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

 

Veteran Paper Workshop | Nov. 25 & 26

Lecture | Nov. 25, 4 p.m.

Papermaking: Helping Heal Survivors of War & Terrorism Around the Globe

Papermaking Workshop | Nov. 26, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Art Studio, Clyde A. Lynch ’18 Memorial Hall

Drew Matott, master papermaker and director of the Peace Paper Project. The Veteran Paper Workshop is in conjunction with the Peace Paper Project. Paper will be created from donated military uniforms during the workshop.

 

Colloquium Lecture | Nov. 27, 5:30 p.m.

Beyond Stereotype: World War I, Warriors, and the Creative Arts

Michael D. Fay and Tara Leigh Tappert

 

 

Image Credit: CWO2 Michael D. Fay, USMCR (American, b. 1953), Stalking the Patrol Base, High Noon, acrylic and water-based oils on canvas, 28 ¾ in. x 23 in., 2013, Gift of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Art Collection, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, Virginia.