Artists in Kern County are coming together to remind the community about the importance of honoring our veterans, as we prepare to observe Veterans Day.
The artists are raising money for the Wounded Heroes Fund, which helps local vets who have been injured in the war on terror.
"I've been in a depression for about seven years, coming out of it now, you know, working my way out of it. I still have nightmares. I have a lot of anger problems," said J.R. Browning, an Army combat veteran.
Browning, of Bakersfield, was in one of the first units to roll into Baghdad in 2003. During his two tours of duty, he suffered more than a couple dozen concussions from bomb blasts and the road to recovery has not been easy.
"You know, you physically leave a combat zone, but mentally, emotionally, you're always still kind of there. It's a struggle," said Browning.
Browning and his wife Nicole own an art gallery downtown called The Foundry. Now, the two are combining their love for art and vets into one, with a new art exhibit titled "Heroes."
"We have to have our veterans. We have to have our heroes out there, so that we can come back and enjoy an art show, or enjoy what we do everyday," said Nicole Browning.
Alan Willis is the artist behind a painting, entitled "Lifeline." It features a Vietnam soldier radioing out for help. "I spent about 60 hours creating it and I wanted to do something that would benefit our veterans," said Willis.
A percentage of the art sales from this exhibit will go towards the Wounded Heroes Fund, to help our wounded warriors make the transition back into civilian life.
"Right now our troops need support more than they've needed it in quite some time so it's important for us to kick in a little moral support and say hey we understand, we are here for you," explained Browning.
All of the artwork will be on display through December 23rd. The Foundry is located downtown at 1700 Chester Avenue.
