Local Veterans Portraits on Display at Redwood Curtain Theater

We're happy to share the press release about a recent collaboration with Eureka's Redwood Curtain Theater to display part of the Katherin Burleson local Veteran portrait collection, which is housed at the Clarke Museum.

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Redwood Curtain welcomes a unique exhibit to their lobby gallery walls for the months of October and November. Working in conjunction with the Clarke Museum, the theatre gallery will feature portraits of Humboldt County Veterans as drawn by local artist Kathrin Burleson. Burleson created a portrait project after getting involved with the Honor Flight program several years ago. Honor Flight is an organization that takes World War II (WWII) veterans to Washington DC to see the memorial built in their honor. While on the Honor Flight as a travel companion, Burleson started drawing portraits of the flight participants. The project grew to document all of Humboldt County’s WWII veterans and there are currently 170 portraits.  

After starting the portrait project, Burleson recognized the historical significance of the undertaking – particularly as most of the veterans she has drawn are no longer living and the ones still alive are in their 90s. This project took Burleson the better part of two years. She found it was a beautiful way to honor service men and women from Humboldt County and to learn many interesting stories along the way and she says it’s been one of her favorite projects.

The Clarke Museum provides the permanent home to Burleson’s service member portraits. They are on display electronically through the museum’s website and at the museum’s permanent WWII Memorial located at the Humboldt County Airport. Redwood Curtain Theatre is pleased to have this interesting collaboration with the Clarke Museum and the timing of the show nicely coincides with Veterans Day.

Veteran portraits will be on display in the gallery at Redwood Curtain Theatre for the months of October and November, and through the theatrical production of Ripcord. The Redwood Curtain theatre and gallery are located at 220 1st Street, Eureka. For additional information about Arts Alive at Redwood Curtain Theatre, the veteran portrait show or the upcoming theatre production visit www.redwoodcurtain.com or call the theatre at 707-443-7688.