The next art exhibit in Park University’s 2019-20 Campanella Gallery exhibition season will feature a photographic essay, “Darkest Hour,” by Park University student and military veteran Laura Albate. The exhibit, which focuses on post-traumatic stress in military veterans, will be on display Monday, Oct. 7, through Friday, Nov. 22 in the Gallery, located within Norrington Center on the University’s Parkville Campus. A reception for the artist will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission to the Campanella Gallery is free.

Albate, a senior interdisciplinary studies major (focusing in fine art and graphic design) and a resident of Kansas City, Mo., is a graduate of Park Hill High School. She was a Naval aircrewman from 2007-13 and served deployments in the 5th Fleet engaging in counter submarine operations, surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence. Albate received two Navy achievement medals, the Strike/Flight Air Medal for 250-plus hours in combat support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal for expeditionary and service and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

While the exhibit showcases military veterans, Albate said that PTS and its invisible wounds not only affect the individual, but also family, friends and coworkers. “It’s easy to say someone suffers from PTS, but those who have not experienced the anxiety, depression, panic disorders and debilitating effects that this mental health issue has on an individual, but it is hard to identify with what they are going through,” Albate said. “This may come in cycles or may become a daily occurrence. Either way, the pain is like no other one can experience. This pain can cause an individual to succumb to their darkest hour when they feel there is no hope and no reason to go on.”

In her curatorial statement, Andrea Lee, Ph.D., director of the Campanella Gallery, assistant professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Design, said, “Strength, courage and vulnerability are conveyed through the depiction of human figures. There is a long tradition, dating to Classical Greece, in Western European art using the human figure. This series of photographs enters the greater canon of figurative art, but also speaks to the immediacy of 21st century issues and concerns. Unlike some earlier depictions of warriors, the Darkest Hour exhibit explores the emotional impact of trauma and stress that members of the armed forces can experience, while also celebrating their strength, endurance and heroism.”

The Campanella Gallery is open during Norrington Center’s regular business hours as follows:

• Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 21-Nov. 22 — Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 4 to 9:30 p.m.
  • The Gallery and building will be closed on Monday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day
• Oct. 12-20 (Park’s Fall Break) — Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sunday, closed

The exhibit is presented in partnership with the University’s Park Global Warrior Center, with support from Dean Larrick, 1953 Park graduate.