The National Museum of the Marine Corps presents We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America, an exhibit featuring large-scale watercolor portraits of veterans of all ages and in all walks of life, from all 50 states. The show opens November 1 in the Museum’s Combat Art Gallery.
Internationally acclaimed artist Mary Whyte created this series of watercolor portraits of “men and women [who] once signed a blank check on the value of their life and handed it to the American people,” as a way to honor this country’s prior service members through art.
“When I undertook this project to paint the face of America, what began as an exercise to create fifty portraits turned into an all-consuming mission to uphold and honor the hidden heroes of our country,” says Whyte. “We the People is not only a tour across and through these vast United States, it is a tour through the heart and soul, the duty and the commitment of the people who protect not only our Constitution and our country but our very lives. We can only be deeply grateful, inspired, and humbled by all of them, and it’s my hope that this exhibition will give rise to a greater sense of gratitude for our military, as well as to inspire people to reach for what is possible. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is a fitting location for We the People.”
The veterans were selected from each of the 50 states and all branches of the military. Most served unheralded though diligently, and then returned to live quietly with their families in the land they defended. According to Whyte, each represents the diversity, challenges, and realities of living in America today.
“It’s fitting that the Museum hosts this exhibition of watercolors of veterans from all 50 states, men and women who helped make the history we share here,” BGen Walker Field, Commanding General, Marine Corps University, said of the exhibition.
We the People runs through July 2022. Visitors to the exhibition are also encouraged to visit the rest of the Museum to more fully understand the sacrifices made by all veterans.
The Museum is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. It is located at 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway in Triangle, VA, and is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily except December 25th. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 703-784-6107 or visit on the web at www.usmcmuseum.com.
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