The Society of Washington Artists is hosting an art exhibit featuring the work of six local military veterans. Thirty-three of their paintings will be on display this month, next month and January in the Corridor Gallery, inside the Esther Short Building.
The exhibit is not military themed and has no images of combat but rather showcases works inspired by each artist’s broader life, gallery manager Sharon Svec said. Veterans have often traveled widely and been “exposed to people from different parts of the world as well as different environments,” and it really comes through in the show, Svec said.
“Veterans experience a part of our world that’s only accessible through the military,” Svec said. “Art becomes a way for people to process experiences.”
Paintings in the show run the gamut from landscapes to portraits to abstract works. All six artists — Russell Cupp, Fredrick Jones, Richard Ferguson, James King, Nho Nguyen and Fred Suter — are members of the Society of Washington Artists. Some, like Ferguson, are already quite well-known in the art world, said Fredrick Jones, president of the Society of Washington Artists.
If You Go
What: Society of Washington Artists’ military veterans art exhibit
Where: Corridor Gallery, aka the hallways in the Esther Short Building, 610 Esther St., Vancouver
When: Until Jan. 25. Viewing hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The artists’ reception is 4 p.m. Dec. 7.
On the web: corridorgallery.square.site
Three of Jones’ own paintings are in the show, two of which are inspired by photographs his father took while stationed at Camp Campbell, Ky., during World War II. The elder Jones intended to use the photographs as inspiration for paintings, Jones said.
“I picked those up and have been doing those that he didn’t get to,” Jones said.
The veterans art show has been in the works for a couple of years, Jones said. Svec suggested the Corridor Gallery inside the Esther Short Building. It’s a nontraditional gallery space in the building’s large upper and first story hallways but offered enough space for all 33 paintings. All except three are for sale, Svec said.
Jones said those who come to the show may enter with certain expectations but will leave with appreciation for the beauty that each artist captured in his own particular way. The exhibit is not about war but about shared humanity, Jones said, and visitors to the exhibit might be surprised by what they see.
“They’re going to have a preconception when they walk into the art show. They might go ‘Huh,’ ” Jones said. “They’re going to be surprised that it’s not anything to do with combat experience.”
The artists come from many branches of the U.S. military, including the Army, National Guard, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force. All are in late middle age and served in many conflicts, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea and Vietnam, Jones said.
One veteran in the group did not serve in the U.S. military at all. Vancouver resident Nho Nguyen was a soldier in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.
“He asked if he could join,” Jones said, “and all the veterans said ‘Yes, absolutely.’ ”
Nguyen, a graduate of the Fine Art National College of Hue Vietnam, was an artist before he was a soldier. He graduated as a cadet from Nha Trang Infantry School in 1969 and became a platoon leader. After the fall of South Vietnam, he was imprisoned and put to work as a laborer in a communist reeducation camp.
In 1995, his family moved to the United States. Nguyen studied fine art at Portland Community College and now works as a designer and artist in Vancouver.
Nguyen has six paintings in the Corridor Gallery show ranging from abstract to realistic. His subjects vary from rice fields in Vietnam to Multnomah Falls to a storm-tossed ship carrying Vietnamese refugees.
He was one of 55 artists selected to join the recent Clark County Open Studios Tour. His woodcarving is part of the current Open Studios exhibit at Art at the CAVE gallery, on display through the end of this month. Visitors can also see his work among the paintings by local artists at the Hilton Vancouver.
“I hope that viewers get a sense of happiness and fulfillment when they see my work,” Nguyen said through a translator. “I hope people find beauty and peace in my work. I suffered a lot as a prisoner of war and so I just want to bring happiness.”
Another veterans art show will almost certainly happen next year, Jones said. More veterans responded to the call for artists than could be accommodated this year, Jones said. He encouraged veteran artists who have questions or suggestions about the show, or veterans who want to apply for the 2025 show, to email president@swavancouver.com. Every painting in the show can also be seen online at corridorgallery.square.site.
