The Indiana State Museum will honor Indiana’s veterans and active military personnel through a special annual exhibit titled “Heroes from the Heartland” Nov. 1 through Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
The purpose of the exhibit is to give veterans an opportunity to share their personal stories with the community by submitting photos of themselves, friends and family members who have served or are currently serving in any branch of the military. The photographs received will be printed and posted on a photo mural at the museum. The exhibit is in need of more participants of color, said Katelyn Coyne, special projects programmer at the museum.
“Last year we got some feedback from a guest that noticed only white individuals on our display, and they were very upset. Rightly so — they deserve to see their community featured,” Coyne said.
From that moment, the museum team realized there were no people of color featured in the exhibit because minorities did not participate that year. The museum took it upon itself to reach out to communities of color.
Photos should be submitted, via email, by Oct. 24 and include the following information: name, date of service, military division, hometown and nominator’s name. Photos should be between 150 and 300 dpi (dots per inch) at 100 percent. All photos submitted will also be featured on the museum’s Facebook page.
“We hope to honor the men and women who serve the United States and the state of Indiana with tremendous courage and selflessness. Our photo mural display celebrates veterans and active duty military personnel, thanking them for all that they do to secure our safety and freedom,” said Coyne.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars still have difficulty finding work. About 9 percent were unemployed in 2013, and those between the ages of 18–24 had a higher unemployment rate in 2013 (24.4 percent) than their civilian counterparts. Disabled American Veterans finds the unemployment rate for female veterans who have been discharged since Sept. 11, 2001, was 9.3 percent in 2013, versus about 8 percent for their male counterparts.
In addition to the photo mural, several other Veterans Day activities will take place, including a variety of special performances on Nov. 8 and an art display from veterans who created pieces during art therapy. The event will highlight the everyday challenges veterans face, such as unemployment, while offering resources to museum visitors. The resources will include where to find food banks, employment and art therapy classes in the city.
The activities will be included in regular museum admission: $13 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8.50 for children ages 3–12. Admission for active military and veterans is free with identification, and discounted admission will be offered to their families.
To submit a photo, contact Katelyn Coyne at kcoyne@indianamuseum.org, and for more information on the Indiana State Museum, visit Indianamuseum.org.
