Artistic Tributes to Veterans

Veteran’s Day is commemorated with parades today. Veterans are also honored all year round with artwork that recognizes their importance to our country. As a leading region for both active duty military and veterans, San Diego County is one of the best places to view military art.
 

                                          "Wings of Hope" by Todd Krasovetz, courtesy of the artist.

Local artist Todd Krasovetz has completed many commissions for military facilities in the San Diego area to honor military service with contemporary paintings. The originals are displayed at locations where you can appreciate good illustrations of contemporary military art. These include the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton, Naval Hospital at Pershing Field, and William Beaumont Army Medical Center.

Krasovetz is an artist with a mission. “I want to capture the importance of actual service and what it provides to the people who are not in the military -- their freedom,” he explains. “I try to capture the spirit of brotherhood and comeraderie.” Krasovetz’ approach to presenting this vision follows the tradition of great classical artists like Michaelangelo and Raphael. He selects models with real military service to portray scenes that capture the image he wants to portray. He then uses sketches of the different scenes to finalize the composition for a themed painting. If you are in the right place at the right time, you may see this in the San Diego area. Krasovetz has another project on the drawing boards -- a sculpture honoring military service. He also paints individual military portraits in his artists studio in Mission Beach.  Krasovetz recommends viewing a 'Wings Of Hope' documentary for which he was interviewed in September 2009.

Military art has a long tradition which you can also view in San Diego year round. One of the best collections is at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

If your interest in military art motivates you to travel or visit online collections you have many choices. The main collection of American military art is at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History in Washington D.C. The Smithsonian makes its collection available for traveling exhibitions, such as “The Art of War: American Posters from World War I and World War II” which was on display at Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum from September of 2008 until this January. The Cornette Library at Northwestern University north of Chicago and the Hoover Institute at Stanford University also have large collections open to the public.

The Smithsonian Museum makes its collection of art honoring veterans available for traveling exhibitions. Photo by Max Donner with permission of Smithsonian Public Relations Department.