Combat Artist

Producer Michael O’Reilly

While seemingly a study in incongruity, a “Combat Artist” has been a part of military operations for over one hundred years. From World War One to the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 15,000 works from artists under fire have been stored in the sprawling basement of a Washington, DC office building. This collection is rarely presented publicly. “The Art of the American Soldier” was previously on Exhibit at The Constitution Center. This segment is from the Friday Arts archives and first aired May 2011 . The segment is complete with interviews from some of the Vietnam Combat Artists as well as one of the few woman combat artists to join the ranks of this illustrious group.