This Weekend's Must-See: National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum

To be honest, I stayed away from this museum for a long time. I think maybe I thought it might be a bit like walking into a scene from Apocalypse Now. Or, maybe I thought I might be bombarded with pro-war or anti-war sentiments. I couldn't have been more wrong.

It's an important museum. Is there a more pressing question for us all than how do we heal from war? The museum seeks, in part, to answer that.

I've written a a profile of the NVVAM to help you plan your visit and to give you a better sense of the museum.

NVVAM is currently featuring the works of artist Jeanine Hill-Soldner, whose piece "Easter Sunday" is posted here. Her paintings deal with the remembrance and reality of her father being pulled from her childhood to serve in Vietnam. Her work is ominously nostalgiac, juxtaposing the innocence of her youth with images of her father in Vietnam.

The third floor features photographic images and some paintings fresh from Iraq. "A Concrete of Images, Back from Iraq" features works from three veterans: Eric Edmundsen, Steve Danyluk, and Bill Smock. Edmundsen was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device and continues to suffer from severe injuries. The written narrative accompanying all three men's work is as stark and stunning as the desert sun some of their images depict.

Also: 5 Ways to Support Chicago-Area Veterans and Active Duty Personnel

Photo © Jeanine Hill-Soldner