College seeks donors to help create traveling art exhibit

The "Always Lost" art exhibit debuted at the WNC galleries in 2009, offering a solemn, eloquent account of the effects of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, the exhibit has captured the attention of other colleges and universities, and plans are being made to display it throughout the United States.

"Always Lost" is a powerful multimedia experience created by WNC creative writing and sociology students that tells a story about war. Photographs of combat along with prose and poetry capture the human element of war that is often lost. Pictures of the more than 5,000 American service members who have perished in the wars are displayed.

WNC English Professor Marilee Swirczek and instructor Kevin Burns are leading the effort to transform the show into a traveling exhibit, and they rely on volunteers to keep the images current and prepare the show for transport.

Donors are needed to help fund the remounting and packing of the images and literary works for shipping and display. The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts have awarded WNC a grant to support the project. The funding requires that 100 percent of the $3,051 grant award be matched through fund-raising.

To support the effort to make "Always Lost" available for other communities, donate online at www.wnc.edu/foundation or contact the WNC Foundation, 445-3240. Reference the "Always Lost" campaign.