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I WAS THERE = IWT

IWT Founder/Executive Director Benjamin Patton spoke at the Omega Institute's conference "Veterans, Trauma & Resilience: What's Next" at the Society for Ethicial Culture in NY last weekend.

The conference was attended by several hundred veterans and caregivers. Ben's panel focused on individuals and organizations developing innovative ways to bring frontline veteran care from the clinic to the community. It was moderated by BG (Ret.) Loree Sutton, currently NYC Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. Panel members along with Benjamin Patton were:
Scott Thompson, MS, LMHC (Director of Veterans Outreach, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center at NYU Langone Medical Center)
Eva Usadi, Founder and Exec Director or Trauma and Resilience Resources and director of TRR's Warrior Camp.
Joe Bobrow, PhD: Founder of the Coming Home Project.

Thank you so much to the Omega Institute and everyone who attended for making this important event happen!

Photo (from left to right in photo): Loree Sutton, Scott Thompson, Eva Usadi, Joe Bobrow and Ben Benjamin Patton

DA's Von Auersperg Art Gallery

As part of my recent visit to campus I was treated to a tour of the current exhibit in the new art gallery. Three students walked us around the exhibit - which was the brainchild of faculty member Tim Trelease. (BIO) Called "Human Impact" the show highlight examples of the interaction between humans and nature and features a central sculpture created by two local artists.

The white sweatered student is the daughter of Jeff Louis '81!

A home in Detroit overrun by nature

A Sarajevo structure with a staged moment with residents and random passersby and wild dogs

Student photographs and student writing line the exterior of the walls of the art gallery.  The writing was created in response to the gallery show and is further evidence of the myriad of ways that classes beyond the arts can use art as a writing prompt or new perspective.

This final image was spectacular and haunting and is not for the faint of heart when remembering 9/11.  The artist needed to escape the NYC environs with his family post 9/11 so he went to Hawaii.  Outside his hotel window were hundreds of vacationers floating in the ocean.  He later removed all but one floating woman in the expanse of ocean and produced this large image.  Is the person floating? Still among the living? (especially in the context of recent immigrant deaths on the shores of Europe).  The artist quickly realized he wasn't escaping his demons at all.  Additionally, see how it gains even further stature as the glass reflects the sculpture in the middle of the room, and even the light entering the gallery window.  The sculpture "skyline" reflection grabbed me and made me take this picture.  To me it was powerful.