Pareti Mobile Walls is very proud to be in use at the Coming Home exhibition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Experience the debut of the full-scale Coming Home exhibition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in October 2017. We at Pareti Mobile Walls are very proud our walls are being used for this exhibit.
This compelling public art experience is the brain child of artist Brookie Maxwell. Her mission was to build civilian-military communities with the intention of healing the wounds of war through art and open dialog. In 2011 Maxwell began traveling to various military bases and hospitals to do research, record stories, and be an artist residence. She collected hudreds of stories and created portraits of the m
any wounded warriors, veterans, active duty soldiers, and their families. During this eperience Maxwell began to see the importance of creating a community to foster a better understanding between service members and civilians.
Brookie Maxwell, a painter, sculptor, and curator known for immersing herself in numerous social causes died in 2015 of ovarian cancer. She was only 59. However, her vision of bringing the experiences of military to civilians with the intention of creating a dialogue continues under the leadership of Project Directors Guzal Latypova and Ellis Maxwell. Other advisors, including Colonel Greg Gadson, whose photography is also displayed in the exhibit, also work with the project.
This is a powerful and meaningful exhibit, featuring enormously compelling subject matter, excellent execution, and drama experienced by the people who have served in the military.
Few of us are aware of the touching and highly significant moments endured by our military. This exhibit offers an inside look at the gravity of every day situations experienced by those defending our country. 
Many of hese situations are probably otherwise impossible to convey outside of art. A single image speaks volumes.
Coming Home I piloted in June 2015, and featured work by Brookie Maxwell and photographer wounded warrior Colonel Gregory Gadson. Drawings by Brookie Maxwell consisted of portraits and drawings of veterans and service members whom she met and interviewed during her work with coming home.
The work of Col. Gadson is no less impactful. His photography is a narrative of changing perception and landscape post-deployment. These stunning and beautiful photographs are shot in infrared and printed on metal, creating a surreal, mystical appearance.
Col. Gadson shows us what is not – giving us a glimpse at how returning soldiers feel. At first impression, his landscapes seem to be of lovely, iced-over trees and fauna after an ice storm. But under closer inspection one begins to see these photographs were actually taken during the height of summer, and what appears as ice are in fact leaves with no all color removed.
Gadson’s work is much more than manipulation of color. His work shows us how the once-deployed soldier who was once familiar with regular life (like summertime), finds his world is no longer familiar or predictable at all. His work enlightens us that the perception of a soldier returning home can feel as strange as summer appearing as winter.
The exhibit will be on display at West Point and will commence with their Opening Reception on October 4, 2017, from 7 PM – 9 PM (EDT) at Cullum Hall, West Point, NY 10996. Ticket information is available at www.cominghomejcd.com. The Opening Reception will feature performances by the West Point Band and a Leadership Panel discussion on the role of arts and humanities on healing and resilience.
The exhibit will offer the first full-size exhibition of Coming Home, as designed by Brookie Maxwell, and will feature work by Brookie, Col. Gregory Gadson, a sculptural installation “A Day in the Life” built with Hesco bastions, and “Dialog” programs and events.
Please RSVP at: http://
You can learn more about the Coming Home project at http://www.cominghomejcd.com.
For information about purchasing artwork, exhibition timelines, and collaborating on hosting Coming Home exhibits, please contact Guzal Latypova at guzal@cominghomejcd.com
For information about the Coming Home Dialog programs, to share your story, or participate in a workshop, please contact Ellis Maxwell at ellis@cominghomejcd.com.
For other inquiries, please email hello@cominghomejcd.com
Here’s a video which shows some of the work by Brookie Maxwell and Colonel Gregory Gadson for the Coming Home Project: