Art of the American soldier.

• Position: Museums Today - Exhibition

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DRAWN FROM the Army's rarely seen collection of more than 15,000 paintings and sketches, "Art of the American Soldier" was created by the National Constitution Center in partnership with the U.S. Army Center of Military History.

"the National Constitution Center is proud to make this remarkable visual record available to the public for the first time," says David Eisner, president and CEO. "The fact that lifts breathtaking and powerful collection has been seen by so few is simply astonishing. These firsthand expressions of the realities of war uniquely and vividly trace the lives of the brave men and women who have answered the Constitution's call to 'provide for the common defense.'"

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The Army's art program began during World War I, and continued through World War II, resulting in the creation of over 2,000 pieces of art. In 1945, the Army established its Historical Division, with responsibilities including the preservation of these works. The collection also includes pieces by artists who were sent to document the Vietnam War, as well as works from soldier-artists who currently are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite its impressive collection, the Army is the only U.S. armed service without a national museum. The Army Historical Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Army, currently is spearheading a campaign to create the National Museum of the United States Army.

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"This highly important collection, never before on public exhibit, portrays the spirit of America's sons and daughters who have answered the call to defend our nation," says Col. Robert J. Dalessandro, assistant chief of Military History at the Center of Military History.

Featuring more than 250 pieces of art in a variety of mediums, the exhibition celebrates the creative spirit of the American soldier and unveils unforgettable images that offer intimate insight into the soldier experience. Spanning from World War I to the present, the exhibit is organized into five sections--Introduction, A Soldier's Life, A Soldier's Duty, A Soldier's Sacrifice, and The American Soldier--and captures the everyday lives of American soldiers, from deployment and camp life to the battlefield, telling their stories in a way no newsreel or photograph ever could.

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In 1919, World War I soldier-artist J. Andre...