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In fall 2008, Western Nevada College sociology professor Don Carlson was stopped in his tracks by The New York Times' Roster of the Dead. "Four thousand faces of American military who had perished in Iraq stared at me," he said, "and I realized that this war has been perhaps one of the most impersonal wars ever fought."
He approached English professor Marilee Swirczek and they envisioned an art/humanities exhibition that would personalize the wars--Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom--through poems, prose and photographs. English instructor and retired Marine Major Kevin Burns selected the name for the exhibition from an observation by American writer Gertrude Stein: "War is never fatal but always lost. Always lost."
The heart of Always Lost is the Wall of the Dead: individual photographs with names of the nearly 7,000 U.S. military war casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. Throughout its years of travel, the Always Lost project team was committed to keeping the Wall of the Dead current in honor of those who gave their lives and those who made it home.
Always Lost includes the 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning Iraq War combat photographs by David Leeson and Cheryl Diaz Meyer (courtesy of The Dallas Morning News) with literary work by Professor Swirczek's creative writing classes, veterans and their families, the Lone Mountain Writers group, and other Northern Nevada writers. Three Western Nevada College student-veterans were profiled through photographs and interviews to represent the thousands of men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Army SPC Noah C. Pierce, who died by suicide after serving two combat tours in Iraq, represents the tragedy of military suicides through his personal story and original poetry.
Installed at Western Nevada College, Carson City in spring 2009, the original exhibition generated an overwhelming response. One guest book comment read, "A national treasure." By word-of-mouth, the story of Always Lost began to spread, and inquiries came from across the country. The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts, awarded WNC a grant to support the project and reformat it as a traveling exhibition. Always Lost made its national debut at the University of Wisconsin, Marinette in the fall of 2010 and through July 2016, was displayed at more than 50 colleges, universities, and veterans’ organizations throughout the United States.
U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller signed a 2011 Congressional letter in support of Always Lost and presented the exhibit with letters of commendation. The Daughters of the American Revolution, John C. Fremont Chapter, recognized Professor Swirczek's stewardship of the exhibition with their 2012 Medal of Honor for Patriotism. Always Lost received congressional recognition from U.S. Congressman Mark Amodei and official proclamations from Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval; the Carson City, Nevada, Board of Supervisors; and the Washoe County, Nevada, Board of County Commissioners. Always Lost was selected as an official Nevada 150 Sesquicentennial exhibit by the NV150 Commission.
Always Lost: A Meditation on War was included in veterans outreach efforts across the nation. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services, with an intention to bridge the chasm between the civilian and military populations in Nevada, sponsored a two-year statewide tour of the exhibition as part of Nevada’s Sesquicentennial celebration. The Minnesota Humanities Center hosted 16-venue tour of Always Lost as a springboard for their statewide “Veterans’ Voices” program, which draws upon the power of the humanities to call attention to the stories and contributions of veterans. The Marin County Free Library displayed Always Lost as part of California’s statewide “Library Outreach to Veterans” program.
Always Lost evolved into a powerful meditation on the effect of war on each of us. It created a sacred space in which to contemplate the personal costs and collective sacrifice of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and consequently, of all wars.
The Always Lost: A Meditation on War traveling exhibition concluded on July 29, 2016. Western Nevada College is hopeful that a permanent home will be found for Always Lost in the coming months. To make a financial contribution toward this effort, please contact the Western Nevada College Foundation at 775.445.3240 or www.wnc.edu/foundation.
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For additional information, please contact: | |
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Always Lost: A Meditation on War Western Nevada College Aspen Building 222 2201 West College Parkway Carson City, NV 89703 |
Phone: 775-445-4243 |