The traveling exhibit “Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam” will be on display in Carnegie Hall’s Museum Gallery May 1 – June 28, with an opening reception on May 8 from 5-8 p.m. The reception is free and open to the general public.
“Marking Time” and other complementary events will be co-hosted by the Greenbrier Historical Society and Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall will host the canvas artwork and GHS will create an exhibit discussing the Vietnam Era and the war’s impact locally. Other events include lectures, films, and music from this era of social unrest.
“Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam” has never before been on display in West Virginia. The exhibit represents the stories of young American soldiers going to Vietnam during the 1960s. The graffiti, left on the bunk canvases of the troopship General Nelson M. Walker, reflect the attitudes and events of a turbulent decade of our nation’s history.
The exhibit was developed by Art & Lee Beltrone of Keswick, VA, and blends art and history in a unique way. Exploring the makings of “Marking Time,” Beltrone will be the guest speaker for Carnegie Hall’s May 20 “Brown Bag Tuesdays,” part of Carnegie Hall’s free lunchtime programming. The program will be held in Carnegie’s Hamilton Auditorium at noon.
In conjunction with the upcoming exhibit, Carnegie Hall is also hosting a book club in May. The book chosen is The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brien. A classic work of American literature that has not stopped changing minds and lives since it burst onto the literary scene, the book is a ground-breaking meditation on war, memory, imagination and the redemptive power of storytelling.
O’Brien has expressed surprise at how the book has become a staple in middle schools and high schools, stating that he “certainly hadn’t imagined 14-year-old kids, 18-year-olds, those even in their early twenties reading the book. In February 2014, the book was included in Amazon.com’s list of 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime.
There will be a discussion of the book on Thursday, May 15 beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Auditorium, led by Literary Festival co-founder Josh Baldwin and Carnegie Hall Board President Elizabeth Spangler. All those attending should have read the book before the book club meeting. Copies are available at most local libraries, or the book may be purchased from various online sources.
For more information on this and other programming, please call 304-645-7917 or go online at www.carnegiehallwv.org.