Combating the Past

For thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, coming home did not end their combat.  Warfare rages on in their hearts, their minds and their lives.

Healing was the theme of the provocative Southwestern College “In Transition” exhibition at the Campus Art Gallery.

Dozens crowded the gallery, some sitting on the floor to get a closer look at works on display in the gallery patio. Viewers saw murals and facemasks created by combat veterans that were full of rage, confusion and hope. Some were bright orange, others the darkest grays, allowing a peek into the minds and hearts of the wounded warriors.

Elizabeth Washburn, founder of the non-profit organization Combat Arts, is a professional artist who offers visual arts classes to active and retired veterans who have served in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts. Combat Arts came to SWC when graphic design professor David Quattrociocchi met Washburn at an art show in Little Italy.

“We talked about it and got permission from the art department and the school to basically get the veterans issues on the map a little bit here at Southwestern College,” said Quattrociocchi, who volunteers as a counselor for veterans.

Washburn said sense of civic duty and respect for veterans inspires her work.

“The main purpose of Combat Arts is to provide an opportunity for veterans to access the arts as means of expression and communication via art classes, museum tours and art exhibits,” she said.

All of the art shown was kept anonymous in order to respect the privacy of the veteran patients.

Washburn said she works with one group of veterans at a time during a five-week time span in hopes of reducing any stress they may have.

One goal is to give others a broader understanding of what our country is committing to when sending out the military to fight wars in foreign lands, she said.

Washburn is also working with SWC’s visual arts department to create an opportunity for student veterans on campus to create a mural for the new Veterans Resource Center.

Anthony A. LoBue, a veteran and former SWC student, said he received an email from the Student Veterans Organization about the event and decided to visit friends and faculty.

“This event is outstanding in its concept and presentation,” he said. “We need more similar events that promote the healing of veterans who are wounded, visibly and invisibly and also to promote visual arts in ways that are both therapeutic and vocational.”

LoBue, known as “Tony the Vet,” said he wants to see more support for all the veterans and their families through programs such as Combat Arts.

“The three R’s for veteran support are recognition, respect and rewards,” he said.

Combat Arts’ healing power has provided that and more.