Witness the journey home from war in the exhibit “Odyssey | Warriors Come Home” on display through December 21 at the Flower City Arts Center (FCAC), 713 Monroe Avenue, Rochester. In photographs and cyanotype self-portraits, 75 veterans show the profoundly and deeply personal impact of combat. Over the past five years, the veterans of the Odyssey Project have made these intimate photographs – meaningful images crafted from memory, love, loss, and war. These images explore the themes of the warrior’s return in an epic visual poem.
Combat veterans’ struggles to reintegrate into society are largely misunderstood by their fellow citizens and rarely communicated by those immersed in the experience. Returning soldiers experience the culture shock of transitioning from a close-knit, self-sufficient collective to a society where people are often isolated from wider communities and personal gain can almost completely eclipse collective good.
“Participating in the Odyssey Project rekindled my passion for photography and connected me with a community of like-minded veterans, forging deep bonds of friendship and a creative family. After enduring a prolonged period of isolation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, I found my way back into the world through this initiative,” shared Christopher Cilento, Rochester-based photographer and former resident artist at Flower City Arts Center (FCAC). “I discovered a vital outlet for expression, allowing me to visually articulate emotions and experiences I struggled to voice. The journey has not only revitalized my artistic spirit but has also provided a much-needed space for reflection and healing.”
Taking its title from the tale of Odysseus, this 12-week workshop series allows participating veterans to control their own narratives as they process difficult experiences and create artwork that serves as a reflection of their time at war and at home. Created by Brendan Bannon with the Josephine Herrick Project, The Queens and Buffalo Vet Centers, and Buffalo’s CEPA Gallery, the Odyssey Project has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, National Endowment for the Arts, and NPR.
“We are honored to showcase the photographs made by combat veterans who have participated in the Odyssey Project,” said Juliana Muniz, FCAC Photography and Digital Arts Director. “Our goal is to bring the Odyssey Workshops to Flower City Arts Center, creating a space here in Rochester where our veterans can find support, mentorship, and community through the power of photography as they transition back into civilian life. This exhibition is an essential step toward raising the funds needed to make this vision a reality.”
Each project session begins with a retreat that encourages bonding and creates an atmosphere of safety and trust through the creative process. Following the retreat, participants meet weekly, utilizing their combat experience, families, and civilian goals as source material for the creation of multi-disciplinary works of art. With challenging assignments centered around specific themes, participants create visual artworks that explore their shifting life roles and goals for the future.
“The arts are naturally therapeutic and new brain research backs up the stance that creative expression can heal, change neural pathways, and transform lives,” stated Kristin Rapp, FCAC Executive Director. “Flower City Arts Center is proud and happy to shine a light on the deeply personal, moving stories of combat veterans from the Odyssey Project. We look forward to this exhibit and furthering a meaningful collaboration.”
“Odyssey | Warriors Come Home” will be on display at the Flower City Arts Center until December 21. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
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