Amherst artist Matthew Mitchell’s project to document those whose lives have been affected by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 100 Faces of War Experience, just got a big boost. (The project was the subject of a cover story, “The Emotional Awareness of War,” April 23, 2009.) Rep. John Olver invited Mitchell to exhibit the project in the Rayburn House Office Building, part of the Capitol Hill complex in Washington, D.C. Honorary co-chairs include members of Congress from other states, as well as Sen. John Kerry, and a reception specifically for congressmembers is part of the exhibition. The public can view 100 Faces of War Experience March 15 and 16.
Mitchell’s work has also gained accolades elsewhere in Washington. His portrait of Rick Yarosh, a soldier with extensive burn injuries, won second place for the People’s Choice Award in the National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever competition. The painting will hang at the Portrait Gallery until August.
