What Now? An Amazing Exhibit of Art By and About Veterans!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Oct. 28, 2021 - PRLog -- It's the question every veteran asks when they return to civilian life: "What Now?" Beginning November 19, visitors to Charlotte Art League (CAL) can take a deeper dive into both this question and the experiences of veterans from around the world through Bullets and Bandaids Volume 3: What Now? The exhibition that pairs the powerful words of veterans with poignant art inspired by their stories is spending five days in Charlotte.

As Bullets and Bandaids Executive Director and Founder Robert LeHeup explains: "We are a veteran-centric, art therapy nonprofit whose focus is to facilitate relations between veterans and civilians by creating a collaborative touring art exhibition." The storytelling created by the art fosters the ideal environment to bring civilians into the world of veteran experiences, he notes. "Because of the sensory metaphors that art provides, you can apply yourself to these things without any sort of preconceived notions or barriers that you would normally erect."

As a longtime advocate of healing arts and a supporter of Bullets and Bandaids who had his photography featured in a prior exhibit, CAL Executive Director Jim Dukes is thrilled to bring this show to CAL. "The exhibit is an opportunity to meet the veterans and hear their stories, and then to meet the artists who created the artwork based on those stories. It lets people into the world of what it's really like to be a veteran."

What does Dukes hope visitors take away from the exhibit? "It's an eye-opening experience for everyone to learn about the different aspects of military life, because it's not all glory. It's not all the typical movie portrayal. It's not all heroes' welcomes. And I think that what Bullets and Bandaids is doing is important to be able to not only give a healing outlet to veterans in the community, but also to have this impactful storytelling time that forges connections," Dukes explains.

What Now features stories and art inspired by 41 veterans, including several from Charlotte. It kicks off at CAL with a reception from 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 19 and runs through Nov. 24, making Charlotte the longest running stop on the five-city tour that also includes Columbia, Spartanburg, Isle of Palms and Asheville.

About Charlotte Art League: Founded in 1965, Charlotte Art League has served as an accessible gateway to the arts experience for art lovers of all ages and backgrounds. More info: www.charlotteartleague.org.

About Bullets and Bandaids: Founded in 2012, Bullets and Bandaids is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to bring about social cohesion between veterans and civilians through a collaborative art project. More info: https://bulletsandbandaids.org.