October 1 - 30, 2020
An exhibition of portraits of World War II veterans by D. Clarke Evans.
From the center:
“At the peak of his career as team photographer for the San Antonio Spurs, D. Clarke Evans chose to retire and focus on honoring World War II Veterans. More than 16 million Americans served in the conflicts around the globe and led the U.S. to victory. According to the U.S. Veterans Administration, approximately 430 WWII Veterans die every day, almost one every three minutes. This project preserves the priceless first person accounts of World War II and honors their dedication to service with stunning portraits that capture the essence of each veteran.
Each portrait on display is accompanied by highlights from the interview by Evans and a photo from their active duty days. As a group the veterans represent a vast array of conflict experiences, backgrounds and life experiences, yet they shared certain characteristics. Evans noted, “Humility is a defining trait of WWII veterans. Courage and resiliency are two others.”
There are 11 Corpus Christi residents in the show:
John Roger Bateman, Lt. j.g. U.S. Navy, 1945-1950
Bob Batterson, Capt, Navy, 1939-1974
Chester Brattain, Sergeant USMC, 1943-1946
Maxine Flournoy. Member WASP 1943-1944
Jack Green, T/4, U.S. Army, 1944-1946
Ed Holt, Seaman U.S. Navy, 1944-1946
Joseph Lev Hunt, Lt Com. U.S. Navy, 1942-1946
Albert Mackay, PFC, U.S. Army,1943-1946
Jose Mendez, TSgt. U.S. Army, 1944-1947
Milton Sherwood, S1c, U.S. Navy, 1943-1946
Al Sondern, YN1/c, U.S. Navy, 1944-1946
Each portrait is a lovingly composed piece of art. The veterans are clearly at ease with Evans behind the camera. The result is a sense of immediacy; Evans transports viewers into the room where the veterans just recounted their remarkable personal account.
Evans has the skills of a professional photographer graced with the curiosity of a journalist and the concern for detail of a historian. He travelled to each veterans home and spent hours listening. Each of the WWII veterans is shown in a contemporary setting, decades after one of history’s greatest conflicts.
Having completed over one hundred interviews with veterans, Evans noticed “The men and women who served in this conflict do not view themselves as heroes. For example, Lt. Col. Dick Cole, Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot stated ‘We were just doing our jobs.’”.
The project is ongoing and Evans welcomes introduction to WWII veterans for inclusion in the project. A short virtual walkthrough of the exhibit will be released on Facebook, Friday, October 2, 2020 for ArtWalk. This exhibit is graciously sponsored by American Bank.”
The Art Center of Corpus Christi
100 N. Shoreline
Corpus Christi, 78401 TX
(361) 884-6406
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