Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
Edit Content
Click on the Edit Content button to edit/add the content.
  • (615) 822-0789
Facebook Youtube Instagram Jki-envelope1-light
Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
DONATE

FIFTH ANNUAL VETERANS ART EXHIBITION FEATURES THE WORK OF PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COMBAT PHOTOJOURNALIST NICK UT

Media Inquiries:

Cheryl Strichik: [email protected]
(615) 293-3767

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FIFTH ANNUAL VETERANS ART EXHIBITION FEATURES THE WORK OF PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COMBAT PHOTOJOURNALIST NICK UT

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (July 5, 2023) – Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center is pleased to announce that the featured artist for its Fifth Annual Veterans Art Exhibition is legendary combat photographer Nick Ut. The exhibition, titled “From Hell to Hollywood: The Photojournalism of Nick Ut,” runs Aug. 5 to Sept. 3 and includes some of Ut’s best-known photos from the Vietnam War along with selections of his work as a photojournalist working in the United States.

“Nick Ut has created some of the most iconic photos of the past 60 years,” says MACC Executive Director Cheryl Strichik. “His work as a combat photographer brought the reality of war to the front pages of America’s newspapers. As a court reporter working in the states, he took images that helped define an era. We are honored to present this amazing photojournalist’s work at our Fifth Annual Veterans Art Exhibition.”

Nick Ut is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer who shot the famous Vietnam War photo often referred to as “Napalm Girl.” He joined the AP in Vietnam after his older brother, a war photographer, was killed in combat. He remained with AP after the war and worked stateside as a court reporter. His photos of Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, Paris Hilton and other celebrities received widespread attention and critical praise.

The highlight of Ut’s career, of course, came on June 8, 1972, when he photographed Kim Phuc running and screaming after her village was bombed with Napalm by South Vietnamese planes. Immediately after taking the photo, he rushed the girl to a hospital, which saved her life.

Ut will be one of the speakers at the MACC’s Bourbon & BBQ Fundraiser on Aug. 5. All proceeds from the event support the organization’s “Between the Lines” Healing Arts Program for military veterans. Healing Arts Coordinator Sarah Huffman will discuss this innovative program, and the art of some of the military veterans participating in the program will be on display. Country music star Pam Tillis will provide the evening’s entertainment. The event starts at 6 p.m. Saturday Aug. 5 at the MACC. Tickets are available online at monthavenarts.org/events/veterans-arts-and-exhibit or by calling (615) 822-0789.

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) is a jewel-box art museum and education facility housed in one of Tennessee’s most spectacular antebellum mansions. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MACC has staged exhibitions featuring everything from the ceramic art of Pablo Picasso to the evening gowns of Princess Diana. The artwork of local artists and military veterans are also on frequent display. As an art school, the MACC offers classes to more than 600 children and adults each year. The MACC also provides free arts outreach and healing arts to underserved children, families and military veterans. For more information, visit www.monthavenarts.org or call (615) 822-0789.

Tagged

Kaylin Warden

External Affairs Coordinator

Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.

Ruth Chase

Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
 
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.