The photographic works of four artists will remain on display unti;l Veterans Day — Lynn Pedigo, Michael Burr, James K. Johnson and Peggy Fontenot. The exhibit is free to the public. Hours are 12 noon to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday or by appointment. The unique photographic exhibit is sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Veterans’ Artists Alliance. Ms. Fontenot who has been photographing and interviewing veterans throughout the United States for the last eight years, had this to say about the bleak outlook for many of the men and women who served their country in time of war.
"Applications for veterans’ benefits take up to 16 months to be reviewed,” she said. “Most are automatically denied three times. Statistics show that more veterans die from service-related illnesses or self-inflicted wounds than in combat. Statistics also show that these veterans die without benefits."
The Living Wall
Ms. Fontenot and her associate, the artist James Johnson, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, are working together to create "The Living Wall." This is a project by American veterans to record, through photography and oral histories, the stories of living veterans from all branches of the military dating back to World War I. "The Living Wall" will pay tribute to all living veterans, and it will strive to educate the American public about veterans’ lives and the sacrifices they have made in serving their country.
Postscript
Information about the "Debriefing" exhibit and upcoming events sponsored by Los Angeles Area Veterans’ Artists’ Alliance can be obtained by calling LAAVAA Artistic Director Keith Jeffreys at 310.559.2116 or at www.laavaa.org.
