By Heather Graves
Editor
BROWN COUNTY – “I Am Not Invisible,” a traveling exhibition highlighting the contributions of local female veterans, is now on display at the Neville Public Museum.
The traveling War Memorial Center exhibit – on display through Aug. 4 – was created in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans and started in Oregon in February 2017 as a way to increase visibility of women Veterans, who are often invisible both as service members and veterans.
Now a nationwide program, the exhibit strives to increase awareness about the role of women veterans.
Beth Kowalski, the Neville executive director, said the exhibit tells the stories of more than 30 Wisconsin women veterans and current military service personnel through retractable banners.
“It just gives you that personal perspective,” Kowalski said. “I’m not a veteran myself, but I have some family that are veterans and are still active duty, and to give that type of service to our country is huge, in my opinion. So, I think it’s really important for institutions like the War Memorial and Wisconsin Veterans Museum to do it so well, to capture the stories when our people are still with us.”
Kowalski said as a public museum, it is the Neville’s job to help bring light to those stories.
“Hopefully, (visitors) walk away with, ‘I didn’t know that’ or ‘I appreciate that more,’” she said.
Kowalski said the bios included in the exhibit provide an honest look at what it means to serve and the opportunities open to women – and the challenges they face – in the U.S. military.
“The Neville and the team here are committed to diversity and inclusivity and sharing stories that represent people of our community,” she said. “And so this being all women, all Wisconsin women and having some that are Northeastern Wisconsin-specific, it makes me smile, and it gives us the opportunity to be a wonderful partner and help share and advance the story. Because I think I’d like to see all of our veterans get recognized, even more so than they do.”
Kowalski said the exhibit is set up in the museum’s Discovery room.
“It is a pop-up exhibit that is normally only up for two weeks,” she said. “But I asked (organizers) if we could have it for two Explorer Wednesdays.”
Kowalski said the exhibit fits in well with what is already being offered at the museum.
“The timing was pretty perfect,” she said. “We still have the all female art in the generations gallery. We have Her Story and then we have this now. So, it feels like we’re continuing playing on the theme of the Year of the Woman.”
Kowalski said the driving force behind getting the exhibit to the Neville was Carol Johnson, the commander of the American Legion Post 539, the first and only all women’s American legion post north of Milwaukee.
“There’s only two (female-only legions) in the state,” she said. “And our whole goal is to give women a place where they can tell their stories and not be cut off, and where they can feel safe, especially this younger generation that may have experienced some traumas that some of the other folks may have never had to endure.”
Johnson said the exhibit includes a number of women from the area.
“Everyone from World War II to our most recent desert veterans,” she said.
Johnson said she is thrilled that the Neville took the steps necessary to bring the exhibit to Green Bay.
“I have written letters to every museum, library and university in Green Bay and the Fox Valley to see who would bring this up here,” she said. “It had been (in the area) before. It was in Appleton at the library right before everything closed down. It was due to go to the Reeve Memorial Union in Oshkosh, but that was canceled due to COVID-19. We really wanted to get it back up here so people have the opportunity to see it.”
Johnson said the exhibit not only serves an awareness purpose, but an educational one as well.
“I think people need to see these pictures, relate to these women and read their stories, their brief little bios at the bottom,” she said. “It’s something that is kind of moving and I think it’s educational. Kids need to understand that the men weren’t the only ones that were over there doing stuff, and I think many of our male veterans need to be reminded of that as well.”
Johnson said the “I Am Not Invisible” exhibit spotlights the many faces of this diverse and important segment of the veteran community.
“I guess what I want to take away is to read these people’s stories,” she said. “We have one member – she’ll be 105 years old in September,” she said. “She’s a World War II veteran. People need to know that she existed. When organizations go out and ask for speakers or schools want folks to come in and talk about the flag or have veterans in the classroom, I want them to think of us, because we have stories, too.”
Johnson said the timing of the exhibit couldn’t be better as the state American Legion convention is taking place at the KI Center just up the road from the Neville July 13-18.
“Hopefully, a lot of those folks will take advantage of the Neville being so close to the KI Center, or the convention itself and go over and take a look at it,” she said.