Bullets and Bandaids Opening Reception at Columbia Museum of Art

Award-Winning Documentarian Frederick Marx Partners

with Touring Exhibition of Veterans’ Stories

Imagine a veteran, after years serving their country, returning to civilian life and wondering “What’s next?” Beginning this January, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the veteran’s journey through Bullets and Bandaids Volume 4: The Next Step, an impactful traveling exhibit that pairs the powerful experiences of veterans with poignant art inspired by their stories. This year’s tour will arrive in six Southeastern cities between January and March 2023.

“We are a veteran-centric, art therapy nonprofit whose focus is to create understanding between veterans and civilians through a touring art exhibition,” explained Robert LeHeup, founder and executive director of Bullets and Bandaids. “We don’t just give a platform for veterans to speak their truth. Through careful execution of written narratives and visual art, we guarantee that their truth is heard.”

Oscar and Emmy-nominated film producer and documentarian Frederick Marx, who produced Veterans Journey Home (2021) and Surviving Home(2019), is participating in this fourth volume of Bullets and Bandaids anthology, which includes voiceovers of selected stories for an immersive experience that is certain to create an impact as it shatters preconceived notions.

This year’s event presents the collective experiences of 45 veterans from around the world, including stories from Afghanistan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Russia. A writer from the Netherlands tells the story of an Afghan interpreter who was in the brutal 2008 Battle of Shok Valley. Another writer telling the story of an Afghan interpreter happens to be a poet laureate.

LeHeup, a Marine Corp combat veteran, acknowledges that some of the stories and art may be intense. “This project provides a way for everyone to experience being human in a more profound way,” he said.

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