Art Show, Vietnam Then and Now

This free Public Exhibition at the Ashland City Library begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, with art and a Vietnamese Taste Experience as we sample several favorite Vietnamese dishes. Veteran Artist Chuck Creasy will be available.
The Exhibition is underwritten by the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Project featuring Thi Bui’s graphic Novel, The Best We Could Do. (Copies are free and available at the library.) Bui’s novel centers on her family’s experiences as Boat People escaping the effects of the war, and she shows how people on both sides of the conflict tried to recover from their experiences, “…healing can happen, stories can get told. They don’t always have to be a huge bummer, sometimes they are a way to do better in terms of recognizing the plurality that is our society and to understand each other better as neighbors, community members, and fellow students.”
From helicopters to watercolors and canvas VIETNAM: 2 SOLDIERS, 2 ARTISTS, 2 JOURNEYS THEN AND NOW is the story of two brave soldiers who battled their way into the world of art. Trading the tools of war for the tools of the trade.
Their long journey from the 1960s to the present was illuminated by their shining talent and brilliant ability to see the world from a different perspective. One forged by unique life experiences as young men that were to sharpen their focus, and prepare them for a career in the world of art; one of the most evocative expressions of freedom.
Whether it’s David Wright and his historically-researched paintings of classic American history or Chuck Creasy’s watercolor works of subjects from the jungles of Honduras to the hidden backroads of rural Tennessee, your senses are in for a treat.
This memorable, one-of-a-kind exhibit features highlights of both the artist’s best work from Vietnam. David, from sketches and drawings done in-country during his deployment. And Chuck, from a much-anticipated trip back to Nam, fifty years older and a lifetime wiser.
It all comes together in this exhilarating and meaningful show, one that bridges two lives, two worlds, two journeys. Join us in this celebration of these two talented men who returned from war to pick up their lives and continue their journey for the ultimate symbol of peace…art.