Art, Military History and the Memory Project converge in Dublin

In a first for the recently opened Military History Center at the Camp Parks Military base in Dublin, it served as a venue for the Dublin Art Collective networking event.

The new Camp Parks Military History Center hosted the local artistic community in an event that aimed to strengthen ties, build connections and increase visibility of local talent.

This was the second networking meeting of the Dublin Art Collective and the new location was a great opportunity to explore the installations at the museum and get a taste of Dublin’s history on Veterans Day weekend. Approval to make use of the venue was given by Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Hall and the City of Dublin.

LTC Hall and his wife Pam were present to greet guests and said he welcomes the opportunity to have people visit the museum as the military base forms an integral part of Dublin’s historical background and development.

Internationally recognized fine artist Nana-Dictta Graves is a specialist in micro-mosaic art pieces made with natural and recycled materials and was the main speaker at the event. Her work in Dublin includes the program at the Valley Children’s Museum. The theme of her engaging talk was “Does curiosity kill the cat?” where she invited artists to pursue their natural inquisitiveness about the world around them and to fuel their creativity through life experiences.

Bill Small, an artist focusing on portraits for a cause was also a speaker at the event and introduced the audience to the “Memory Project”, a non-profit organization that seeks to support global awareness and an appreciation for diversity through the creation and donation of student artwork.

High school and middle school teachers and students are invited to participate in this project where they receive photographs from children around the world living in impoverished and disadvantaged living conditions and then create portraits from these photos. The artwork is then sent back to the location of origin. Donations also allow the Memory Project to provide art and craft supplies to these resource-poor settings.

“It’s a simple process,” said Bill “but the impact on both the artists and the recipients of the portraits is invaluable and allows for a deeper understanding of living conditions across the globe while making an enlightening and personal connection”.

Cultural Arts and Heritage Manager for the City of Dublin, Tegan McLane, also made some announcements at the event of interest to the Dublin arts community.

Gatherings to note included The Public Art Master Plan meetings on:

- Tuesday, November 28, 7-8:30 p.m. at City Hall’s Regional Meeting Room, 100 Civic Plaza, and

- Wednesday, November 29, 7-8:30 p.m. at The Wave’s Community Room, 4201 Central Parkway.

Artists were also invited to attend the monthly Cultural Arts and Heritage Commission meetings and the next meeting is scheduled for December 14.

The Camp Parks History Center is a partnership between the City of Dublin and Parks Reserve Forces Training Area and houses the Camp Parks historical collection, with permanent museum-quality exhibits and rotating temporary exhibits. It also includes a public meeting space available for community use. Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center is open for free self-guided tours daily, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A collection of diverse and engaging artworks from various artists were also displayed at the event including work by Magdalena Bertera, Bill Small, Shweta Agrawal and May Yin Giang.

Artist and organizer of the event, Summer Ellis said “It’s wonderful to meet other artists from the Tri-Valley area and I am astounded by the level of talent. We need to have more of these events to showcase what Dublin has to offer and to support creative endeavor.”

Dublin Art Collective , dublinartca@gmail.com

Photo credit: Vanessa Lee Thomas