Surviving the Long Wars: Reckon and Reimagine

Summit March 16–19, 2023 | 4th floor Exhibit Hall

“Surviving the Long Wars: Reckon and Reimagine” is one of the three featured exhibitions of the second Veteran Art Triennial and Summit. From the “American Indian Wars” to the “Global War on Terror,” the exhibition explores the multiple, overlapping histories that shape our understanding of warfare, as well as alternative visions of peace, healing, and justice generated by diverse and entangled communities impacted by war. 

Featuring powerful work of Indigenous artists responding to the “American Indian Wars” alongside artists from the Greater Middle East and its diasporas reacting to the "Global War on Terror,” the exhibition explores how these works complicate and relate to the creative practices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) veterans whose experiences profoundly challenge the dominant histories of these long wars.

Curated and organized by Aaron Hughes, Ronak K. Kapadia, Therese Quinn, Joseph Lefthand (Cheyenne-Arapaho, Taos, and Zuni tribes), Amber Zora, and Meranda Roberts with NEH Veteran Fellows Gina Herrera (Tesuque Pueblo), Monty Little (Diné), Gerald Sheffield, Anthony Torres, Eric Perez, and Natasha Erskine.

“The Veteran Art Triennial and Summit draws from our unique and diverse experiences in a way that strengthens our human connections and offers an opportunity to think honestly and creatively about peace,” shares co-curator Joseph Lefthand (Cheyenne-Arapaho, Taos, and Zuni tribes), artist, cultural advocate, and Marine Corps veteran.

Visit ChicagoCutluralCenter.org to learn more about the featured artists and programming occurring in response to the exhibition.

Image: Michael Rakowitz (b. 1973), American Golem, 2022