‘Always Lost’ art exhibit coming to Minden

MINDEN — Douglas County is hosting the Western Nevada College “Always Lost: A Meditation on War” arts and humanities exhibition as part of a special Nevada Sesquicentennial tour sponsored by the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS).

The exhibit will be on display at the Minden Inn Aug. 25 to Sept. 12 and is free to the public. Viewing hours will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays (August 28, Sept. 4 and Sept. 11) until 8 p.m. A special opening ceremony will take place in the lobby area of the Minden Inn at 10 a.m. on Aug. 25.

“Always Lost” includes a memorial wall of individual photographs with names of the more than 6,500 U.S. military war casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001; the 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs (Breaking News Photography) by David Leeson and Cheryl Diaz Meyer (courtesy of The Dallas Morning News); original literary work by WNC creative writers, veterans and their family members, and others from the Nevada writing community; WNC student veteran photographic portraits and interviews to represent service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; and the personal story and original poetry of SPC Noah Pierce, who took his own life after serving two tours in Iraq, to represent the thousands of veteran suicides.

Observations about the nature of war, from Greek philosophers to modern-day generals, serve as thought-provoking meditations concerning the effects of war on each of us and our obligations to those willing to serve in harm’s way on our behalf.

Installed at the Western Nevada College Carson City campus in spring 2009, the original exhibition generated an unexpected and overwhelming response. One guest book comment read, “A national treasure.”

By word-of-mouth, the story of “Always Lost” began to spread, and inquiries came from across the country. The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts, and local donations funded the creation of a traveling exhibition. Following its national debut in Marinette, Wisc. in 2010, “Always Lost” continues to bring its message of awareness and unity to communities across the nation.

Selected as an official Nevada150 Sesquicentennial exhibit by the NV150 Commission, “Always Lost” has returned to Nevada for a special statewide tour. As part of Nevada’s 150th Sesquicentennial celebration, the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) has joined with Western Nevada College to bring this unique war memorial to Nevada communities through 2015.

What began as a classroom project at a small college in a small American town has become a sacred space in which to contemplate the personal and collective costs of war. “Always Lost: A Meditation on War” is a poignant memorial dedicated to those who gave their lives and those who made it home.

For more information about the display at the Minden Inn please visit the Douglas County website at www.douglascountynv.gov or call 775-782-9821.

“Always Lost: A Meditation on War” is funded in part by grants and donations. To make a financial contribution, contact the Western Nevada College Foundation at 775-445- 3240 or visit www.wnc.edu/foundation/.

For more information on the exhibit visit www.wnc.edu/always_lost/. For information about the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, visit www.veterans.nv.gov/.