Athens State University is honored to host Vietnam: Then & Now, an exhibition featuring the powerful work of Vietnam veterans and artists David Wright and Chuck Creasy. The exhibition will be on display from October 27 to November 30 at the Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center on the campus of Athens State University.
This unique collection pairs Wright’s black-and-white wartime sketches and photographs from the 1960s with Creasy’s vibrant watercolors of modern-day Vietnam, painted after his return visit in 2018. Together, their works create a striking contrast between a war-torn past and a flourishing present.
As Wright reflects, “My sketches are black-and-white. Chuck’s paintings are vibrant, full-color paintings of Vietnam today, so you have a real dichotomy of art that says then and now.”
A public reception to meet the artists will take place on November 6 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm at the Nazaretian Alumni Welcome Center. Guests will have the opportunity to hear directly from Wright and Creasy as they share their experiences in Vietnam and discuss the inspiration behind their art.
About the Exhibit
Though Wright and Creasy did not meet until after their service, their friendship grew through shared experiences and the decision to bring their art together. First exhibited in 2021, Vietnam: Then & Now invited viewers to witness two perspectives separated by decades yet connected through memory, history, and art.
“This is more of a history show than it is an art show,” Wright explains. “What you’re looking at there is a record of what I did while I was over there, the people I met. And Chuck, what he did when he went back. So, you got 2018 and 1965 and the difference between them.”
About the Artists
H. David Wright
Born in Kentucky and raised in Tennessee, David Wright is a nationally recognized artist and historian whose work focuses on the American frontier and Civil War. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1964, Wright spent a year in Vietnam, where he captured soldiers, civilians, and landscapes through quick sketches and photography. His work has since been featured in museums, books, documentaries, and even a large-scale mural at Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. In 2022, Wright received the Booth Western Art Museum American Artist of Excellence Award.
Chuck Creasy
A Tennessee native, watercolorist Chuck Creasy served as an Army officer in Vietnam before building a successful career in advertising. Decades later, in 2018, Creasy returned to Vietnam with his children, where he was moved by the resilience and vibrancy of the country. His watercolors reflect both the beauty of modern Vietnam and the personal journey of healing and reflection. Creasy has studied with renowned artists such as John Pike and Norman Rockwell, and his paintings have earned recognition throughout the Southeast.
Please contact Museum Curator, Lisa Hoffman, for questions at 256-233-8184.
