Recently I was invited to present my body of work "Memories of an Era, Reflections of Our Time" to three high school classes studying the Vietnam War.  Yes, high school students are now studying the events of their parents and grandparents lives as "history".  I assembled my paintings in a powerpoint presentation and discussed the events of the war making connections to my paintings and my Dad's photographs from the war.  The teacher was thrilled with the presentation.  The students were interested in the connections they associated with the present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 My work deals with my family during the time of the first years of the ground assault during the Vietnam War.  My Dad was a Marine and did two tours of duty in Vietnam. 

I referenced my Dad's early photographs from 1965 and photographs of families left behind for my large format (6' x 4') oil on canvas narrative paintings.  My artist profile and paintings have been profiled on PBS Real Simple Televison, PBS Chicago Tonight and Fox News Chicago.  All of this media attention has been encouraging me to consider the possibilites of making a cultural contribution with my art.

I think as artists we have more to contribute to the national dialogue than decoration.  I have painted my share of still lifes and landscapes in over 30 years of art production.  The work I produced over a 7 year period dealing with the Vietnam War is a subject that is, to many Americans, wrenching and sensitive. As an artist I have found my calling creating art with meaning that viewers respond to in a profound way. 

 Producing art with meaning that resonates on many levels is very rewarding.  Bringing my artwork and story into a local high school's American History classroom certainly opens the onging  dialogue about why art is important in America's schools.

Creating art with meaning that presents the ancient and time honored "narative" genre, may engage students in learning that art is as much apart of human history as that which is presented in textbooks. 

You can learn more about my work at www.soldnerfineart.com or the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, www.nvvam.org, where "Memories of an Era, Reflections of Our Time" will be on exhibit for several more months.

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