MANCHESTER, Connecticut — The newest exhibit at the Galleries @ WORK_SPACE in Manchester doesn’t require the artists to have actual painting or sculpting experience - they just need military experience.
The exhibit called “Colors of Courage” opened on Aug. 9 and features work from 31 different military men and women plus the family members of those who served.
Stacey Zackin, the manager at WORK_SPACE said, “Everything here in the Main Street Gallery was created by someone with a relationship to the military. The theme is really the artist, and this is a way for some of them, particularly those Wounded Warriors who have had a traumatic brain injury, to express themselves.”
The gallery now is showcasing 85 different works by military servicemen and women and their family members. Sgt. Lindsey Perrotti, a Marine Corp veteran who served in Afghanistan for seven months has her work framed and hung up on the center wall of the gallery.
Perrotti said, “It is basically a collection of pictures, journal entries and a current reflection of my time in Afghanistan. I just want people to look at this and see one Marine’s experience in Afghanistan and how it matters.”
Gerry Gallo, an Army veteran and the Veterans’ Committee chairman from the Manchester Elks Lodge, said of the exhibit, “There are so many images, and every one of these pieces of art tells a different story - it’s a window into the soul; it’s a window of what they are going through.”
Zackin, the WORK_SPACE manager, added, “I think it [this exhibit] literally illuminates and illustrates the value of our service people and the diversity of their experiences.”
Colors of Courage is meant to compliment the upcoming arrival of “The Wall that Heals”, which is a ¾ scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington. The Wall that Heals will be on display in Charter Oak Park in Manchester from Sept. 19-22.
The Colors of Courage also runs through Sept. 22 at WORK_SPACE. To learn more click here.
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Jim Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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