By Danielle Kutchel
A painted tribute to our Vietnam veterans is now on display to the public at a local shopping centre.
Having been exhibited at Cranbourne RSL in February, ‘Lest We Forget – Vietnam’ will now be displayed at Casey Central Shopping Centre until Sunday 21 March.
The exhibition features 20 paintings of actions in Vietnam, and 11 large portraits of selected veterans as they are now and as they were during their war service.
They were painted by local artist group Provenance Artists.
The exhibition was made possible by a special $20,000 grant from the Victorian Government.
Bob Elworthy OAM, state president of Victorian Vietnam Veterans, said the paintings would help preserve each veteran’s service.
“Each one of these paintings tells the story of the soldiers,” he said.
“And they’re so rich in subject matter, and very evocative, and very thought provoking. You can’t help but be caught up in the moment, and it takes your mind back to days when you were young.”
Entry to the Casey Central exhibition is free, and the paintings can be viewed in the courtyard outside Woolworths.
The collection will next head to the Great Art Show at Nossal High School Berwick over the Anzac weekend, 23-25 April.
They will then be gifted to the National Vietnam Veterans’ Museum at Phillip Island.
