Artwork by Veterans, for All

Have you been to the National Veterans Art Museum (NVAM) in Portage Park? 

Maybe you were walking down Milwaukee Avenue and just dropped in on a whim. Maybe you researched “free museums” and it popped up. Giselle Futrell, the museum’s executive director, says some people start out of simple curiosity: “What does veteran art look like?”

Often the curious are veterans themselves.

“There definitely needs to be a way to show the human side of military experience,” Giselle explains. “This art humanizes the military experience in a way that traditional military museums often don’t.”

NVAM is different, starting with the current display inspired by the book about U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, The Things They Carried. Over several rooms, it presents helmets, canteens, boots, paintings, photos, prints and more for everyone to take in. 

Veteran visits

Opened in 1986, the NVAM’s mission is to “inspire connection and dialogue of the impact of war and military service through the collection, preservation and exhibition of art by veterans.” Giselle says that vets can see their own stories on the wall and not feel so isolated.

“They came home, and often they didn’t have a great experience. Or they didn’t feel like what they’d been through was something they could, or wanted to, talk about. So in that sense, a lot of this artwork gives those feelings and experiences a voice,” she says.

Moki Tantoco, NVAM’s director of programs and exhibitions, has seen a lot of bonding among museum visitors who’ve been in the armed forces.

“I’ve learned that within the veteran community, even when people come from very different backgrounds, there’s this instant connection: ‘Oh, you served? Me too,’” she says. “It doesn’t matter which branch or when. That shared bond exists.”

Sometimes the bonding is in the family. A high school girl visited the museum with her father. She was studying The Things They Carried, and her dad came with her. “At some point, there was just a lot of crying. I realized she hadn’t known her dad had served in Vietnam himself! Being in the exhibit opened something in him that allowed them finally to talk about it,” Moki says. “That kind of experience is not uncommon.”

Bridging the gap

Most museum visitors, like most Americans, have no military experience. Only 1% of Americans are in the active or reserve military, and 6% of American adults are veterans.

Non-veteran visitors have good reason to wander through the rooms, taking in the paintings, sculptures, and the display case of patches and medals and Vietnamese money. Not only is the museum’s art interesting and thought provoking, it can help bridge a gap between veterans and the communities they come from. 

“There can be a disconnect between their lived experience and the public’s understanding of what that means and feels like,” says Giselle, herself a former Marine. “If we’re not preserving that [lived experience], we’re missing a big part of our cultural history and collective consciousness.”

Moki tells another parent-and-child story she witnessed: “A neighborhood guy came in quietly, walked around, and got emotional at the end. His father had served in Korea but never spoke of it. Being here gave him space to imagine what his dad might’ve gone through."

“So it’s healing not just for veterans, but also for families, spouses, children—anyone connected to that experience. Even a short time in the military can have a lifetime of impact, and this place helps people acknowledge that.”

What’s next?

NVAM is working to increase its national presence. It brings in fellows from all over the country for long-term exhibits and those fellows become ambassadors for this Northwest Side institution. 

The plan is a hub-and-spoke model—based here in Chicago and building partnerships and awareness across the country. When you visit in person or go to their website, you can make a donation to help this free museum grow.

The need for connection and help processing the times we live in has never been greater. Moki speaks to the weight of what we’re all feeling as we survey the state of the world in 2025, saying it’s easy to lose hope.

“There’s an artwork here—a depiction of a Black Vietnam soldier—in three parts: one showing police brutality, one the KKK, one a protest. When I lead student tours, I hide the title card and ask, “What era do you think this was made?”

“They always say, ‘This could be today.’ And that’s a heartbreaking truth.”

We might also find hope, though, at the National Veterans Art Museum.

“If more of us engage with art that speaks to shared humanity, empathy, and care for the community—instead of just reactionary imagery—it could change how we see each other,” Moki explains. 

“That’s what this museum tries to do.”

RESOURCES

Veterans

• National Veterans Art Museum (Portage Park): Apply for an arts fellowship, check out free exhibits of veterans' art, and check out information about events, programs, grants, residencies, and organizations that offer courses or workshops for veterans.
• Hire Heroes USA: Helps veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses secure meaningful employment
• American Bar Association's Military Pro Bono Project: Legal services for veterans and their families
• Mayor's Office on Veterans Affairs (Chicago): Information on resources, recreational activities, federal benefits, veteran hiring preferences and veteran-owned businesses
• Illinois Attorney General's Military and Veterans' Rights Bureau: Resources on state and federal benefits, consumer protection, dealing with trauma and legal assistance

Federal Workers

• Senator Tammy Duckworth, Resources for Federal Workers: Know your rights as a federal worker, file a complaint, healthcare and unemployment resources, and more
• More federal worker resources featured on Amplify

GET INVOLVED

• National Veterans Art Museum (Portage Park): Donate to the museum or volunteer: opportunities include helping with drop-in arts making service projects, writing letters for veterans seeking care at local Veterans Affairs Healthcare Centers, assisting with gallery coverage, veteran artist research, NVAM tours and arts programming both in-person and remotely.

READ MORE ON AMPLIFY

• Meet a U.S. Marine vet feeling the impact of Trump administration policies.
• Listen to a Northwest Side VA staffer explain how her team is trying to help despite brutal federal cuts.

If you have any resources or opportunities to share, please email us at storytelling@indivisiblechicagonw.org.