Navy Art exhibits are available for loans of three to six months
(except as noted) to museums and institutions that meet eligibility requirements.
There is no participation fee and the only costs are shipping, handling,
and insurance. A written request and completed facility report are needed
to initiate loan approval (send to Navy Art Collection; Washington Navy
Yard; Building 67; Washington, DC 20374-5060). The exhibits are as follows
:
The Navy Art of Thomas Hart Benton -- This well-known American artist
was commissioned by Abbott Laboratories to capture the spirit of the Navy.
The 24 works in the collection range in subject matter from shipbuilding,
scenes on board, and war preparations and are primarily drawings and watercolor,
but also include three paintings. NOTE: Due to the fragility of this collection,
the exhibit is only available for loans of four to six weeks.
D-Day, Normandy -- Navy Combat artists documented the invasion of
Normandy, recording this turning point in World War II. The 63 watercolors
and drawings are chronologically arranged and represent the impressions
of three combat artists who took part in this historic action.
WWII Navy Art: A Vision of History -- During World War II, the Navy
implemented a combat art program of Navy personnel who were also artists.
They were sent to serve in combat zones and to portray their experiences
in art form. This exhibit of 32 paintings, watercolors, and drawings highlights
the work of the eight World War II Navy combat artists--Standish Backus,
Griffith Baily Coale, William F. Draper, Mitchell Jamieson, Edward Millman,
Albert K. Murray, Alexander P. Russo, and Dwight Clark Shepler.
Navy Medical Art of the Abbott Collection -- Four civilian artists
hired by Abbott Laboratories as art correspondents during World War II are
featured in this exhibit of 21 painting, watercolors, and drawings (an expanded
exhibit of 88 works can be made available) . The artists were sent to military
activities in the United States and abroad and their work highlighted the
need and role of medicine during time of war. The art travelled extensively
throughout the country during the war to aid the war effort.
The Vietnam Experience -- is strongly interpreted in this selection
of 24 paintings, watercolors, and drawings by six combat artists. From the
well-known majestic painting Sudden Squall to a vignette drawing of the
Catlo market, this exhibit artistically illustrates the varying experiences
of the Vietnam war.
The First & Second War for Independence -- A selection of 30
engravings depicting naval events from the American Revolution and the War
of 1812, most are contemporary to the period they depict. A highlight of
this exhibit is the earliest known engraving of John Paul Jones.
Naval Aviation of WWII -- From blimps to aircraft carriers, the Abbott
artists depicted the glamour and danger of naval aviation. This exhibit
of contains 23 painting, watercolors, and drawings (an expanded exhibit
of 71 works can be made available).
Amphibious Operations in the Pacific Theater -- Works by Abbott artists
Reginald Marsh, Kerr Eby, and others vividly illustrate the amphibious war
waged at Tarawa, the Philippines and other Pacific islands. This exhibit
of contains 37 painting, watercolors, and drawings (an expanded exhibit
of 66 works can be made available).
The Navy Art of Standish Backus -- Backus developed in the style
of the California watercolorists of the 1930s. As a Navy artist, he was
part of the first wave that entered Japan in 1945 as well as covering Operation
Antartica in 1956-57. The 23 paintings, watercolors, and drawings demonstrate
his skill in depicting the emotional gamut from the horrors of Hiroshima
to the stillness of Antartica.
Desert Shield/Storm -- A visual story of events in the 1991 conflict
in the Middle East as seen by Navy artist John Charles Roach. The 50 paintings
and watercolors illustrate the multiple roles of the Navy in modern warfare.
Images of the War, 1941-1945 -- 31 painting, watercolors, and drawings
by artists who were there evoke the experiences of sailors and marines in
World War II. Arranged chronologically , the exhibit begins with the sinking
of USS Reuben James while the United States was still neutral and
ends with the signing of the surrender by the Japanese on the USS Missouri.
A View from the Periscope -- highlights of the submarine service
including a drawing of the first submarine, the H.L. Hunley as well
as 27 other paintings and works on paper from World War II to the present.
An expanded version of this exhibit can be made available with the addition
of works from any of the following specialized collections--World War II
Silent Service, Disney Studio Insignia, and the 1986 submarine series painted
by John Charles Roach.
EXHIBITS ON THE ROAD
The First & Second War of Independence will be on exhibit at the
Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, New York from June-September,
1996.
WWII Navy Art: A Vision of History will be on exhibit at the South
Carolina State Museum, Columbia, South Carolina from mid-June to mid-November,
1996.