Pentimenti is thrilled to partner with the National Veterans Art Museum and the Harold Washington Library on a special screening of Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea as part of the Chicago Public Library’s America 250: Chicago’s Story programming, which reflects on the nation’s semiquincentennial through events and initiatives that amplify Chicago’s diverse stories and voices, helping all residents explore and reflect on what it means to be American.
The event will feature a post-screening Q&A special guests from the National Veterans Art Museum; Giselle Futrell, NVAM Executive Director (USMC, OEF) and Artist, Nate Juncer (USMC OIF) who will offer attendees a deeper look at Westermann’s influence on both the museum and the veteran arts community.
Since 1996, the National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) has held a unique position at the intersection of art, history, and veteran advocacy. NVAM is the only museum in the United States solely dedicated to art created by people who served in the military, providing an unparalleled platform for storytelling, collective healing, and public understanding of the complexities of armed conflict. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community engagement, NVAM fosters critical conversations about the lasting impacts of military service, not just on veterans, but on families, communities, and the nation as a whole.
Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea is a 3D documentary film about the life and work of artist, marine, and acrobat H.C. (Cliff) Westermann. As a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Westermann’s dramatic personal history can be traced through beguiling, surreal artworks he made to process the horrors he witnessed on the front lines. In so doing, he became an inspiration for many young artists. The film reveals ways in which Westermann protected his empathic spirit – and sanity – by ‘sculpting’ his body, artworks, friendships, his hand-hewn house, and his art-filled letters to his dearest friends and family. Our documentary explores themes of resiliency, hope, and humor with a script culled from over a thousand of Westermann’s letters and one audio-interview – voiced by four-time Academy-Award nominee Ed Harris.