Join us for a reception to celebrate the work of the Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration (EVAC) Project. The EVAC Project is a touring exhibition organized by co-curators Lee Fearnside and Joseph Van Kerkhove. During the reception, hear from Fearnside and Van Kerkhove, along with artist Maggie Denk-Leigh and veteran Lauren Pacini. RSVP to Kari Johnson at karij@bgsu.edu.About the EVAC Project Using storytelling and art, the EVAC Project bridges the gap between civilians and veterans by educating the public about life in the military. EVAC curators interview veterans about their experiences, and artists make an edition of prints based on their interpretation of those stories. Participating veterans served from World War II through the post-9/11 period, and in all branches of the military. Excerpts from the interviews are displayed with the art. EVAC provides veterans with a platform to share their stories, allowing a single story to resonate with and impact many.About the Featured Veteran Lauren Pacini is a photographer and author whose work focuses on Cleveland’s urban landscape. He is a Vietnam War veteran and was one of the first participants in the EVAC Project.About the Featured Artist Maggie Denk-Leigh is an Associate Professor and Division Chair for visual arts and crafts at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) in Cleveland, Ohio. Beginning at CIA in 1999 in the printmaking program, she has taught courses in lithography, etching, screenprint, relief and digital media, and oversees a letterpress studio for a book arts course. Denk-Leigh is a founding board member, and the current Board President of the Morgan Art of Papermaking Conservatory and Educational Foundation, a hand papermaking and book arts center in Cleveland, Ohio. As a practicing artist, Denk-Leigh explores anthropological associations through printed and sculptural works. Denk-Leigh received a Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from Clemson University in South Carolina.This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.