2012 Midwest Air Force Artists Association Exhibition

ARTISTIC DOCUMENTATION
The USAF Art Program began in 1950 with the transfer from the U.S. Army of some 800 works of art documenting the early days of the Army Air Corps. That art chronicled its evolution from Signal Corps, Army Air Service and Army Air Corps into the United States Air Force. Recognizing the historical and morale enhancement value of such works, and to provide artists guidance for future additions to the collection, the Air Force established a formal art program. For more than fifty years, the Air Force has sent artists worldwide to observe and record U.S. airmen in the line of duty. The images of men, women and their equipment are captured in oil, watercolor, and other media performing humanitarian service, operational training, security, combat maneuvers and other important tasks. Today, there are nearly 10,000 works in the Air Force Art Program’s permanent collection.

MISSION: ART
Seeking to best match the artist and assignment, each artist is selected to participate in a “mission” based on their subject preference, technique, and temperament. These missions often include two or more artists, resulting in a wide variety of technological and figurative interpretations. Each artist in the program receives official orders from the Secretary of the Air Force, which accords them all courtesies and privileges as a senior Air Force civilian employee or officer, while visiting Air Force installations or units in their research.

Each artist donates their work to the Air Force without any tax incentives. The Art Program supports artistic freedom to create any work based on assignments or historical reference. Before framing and submission, the art is reviewed and juried by the respective associations and participating organizations.