Join Giselle Futrell, Marine Corps veteran and Executive Director of the National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) along with Moki Tantoco, NVAM's Director of Programs and Exhibitions, for an exploration of how military service shapes artistic vision and creative response.

From the museum's founding members who built community and processed the Vietnam War through their work to today's veteran artists grappling with contemporary conflicts and social change, this conversation examines the unique perspective veterans bring to the creative process.

Discover how these artists channel their experiences of service, transition, and witness into powerful works that speak to universal themes of resilience, transformation, and rebuilding — both personal and collective.

This dialogue will illuminate the vital role military connected artists play in helping us understand not just where we've been, but how we move forward together.

Reception to follow at the Pick Museum of Anthropology.

Cosponsored by the College of Visual and Performing Arts. In collaboration with NIU's Military and Veteran Services.

This event is in conjunction with the “How We Rebuild” exhibition on display through Dec. 19. This exhibit is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.