"The Greatest Generation: A Visual Tribute" by artist Chris Demarest
A Military Portrait Art show kicks off its national tour here in Amherst, a town not always known as a bastion of old fashioned patriotism, in the sun splashed atrium of our own Jones Library, "the people's living room."
Hometown artist Chris Demarest, a cross between illustrator Norman Rockwell and writer Tracy Kidder, has put brush to canvas on over 80 scenes of our WW2 generation going about their daily business of contributing to the war effort. A hard won victory only made possible by teamwork, skill and unwavering dedication to the cause that defined a generation.
And with more than an equal share of the paintings highlighting the significant contributions to the war effort made by our secret weapon: women.
Some 350,000 women served in US Armed Forces during WW2
I'm so happy you have chosen to show these paintings. The one of the smiling black women is particularly moving to me -- it portrays a real sisterhood.
ReplyDeleteAsk Chris about the stories he has been collecting because he has met many of his subjects. It's an amazing exhibit.
Nice piece Larry. I had no idea and will definitely check out the show. You mention Amherst as not being known for its patriotism, and that's probably very true as we are more likely to be outspoken flagstompers and hair-shirt apologists than to be flag-wavers. My recollection of the sixties and early seventies in Amherst is that this was a town where one could righteously spit on a serviceman and laugh about it over Boodles at the next faculty soiree. At least in this sense, forty years later we have evolved as a community, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteSurely you do not mean, literally, that you know of anyone that has spit on a serviceman and then laughed about it over a gin fizz at the Faculty Club?
ReplyDeleteLeave it to Tom to take a feel-good article and use it as an excuse to bleat out another negative criticism.
ReplyDelete