The Veterans Book Project

I like to go to the Milwaukee Art Museum in my free time with friends and family and what I've noticed over the months is one exhibition in particular. It's called The Veterans Book Project and since 9/11 passed a few days ago it reminded me of the pieces I saw/read at the Museum. The Veterans Book Project is a collaboration of books authored by artist Monica Haller and veterans who have been affected by Americas involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The experiences that these soldiers experienced are problematic when returning from the war. They are faced with obstacles when it comes to getting back into civilian life. Living with the loss of friends, limbs, and dealing with depression is hard. Knowing that most of the people at home don't understand what it's like is hard to deal with and Haller believes that photography and art can play a role in the recovery process. In December 2012, the Veterans Book Project came to the Milwaukee Art Museum for a two-week workshop. Local veterans, family members, and others that have been affected by the wars shared their experiences by editing and designing their archives and stories. There are a total of 53 books that make up the Veterans Book Project Library, with five of them coming from local veterans. It really is a very emotional exhibit because it's something that is told by real people that have gone through the horror of war and this is one way of telling their stories. The exhibition runs from April 4- November 10, 2013. All Veterans receive free Museum admission during the run of the exhibition.