As You Were
/As You Were
August 24-November 11, 2026
Curators: Captain (Ret) Moira McGuire, with Jeffrey Kenney, Associate Curator, Mason Exhibtions
Gillespie Gallery, Art and Design Building, Fairfax Campus, George Mason University, Paid guest parking, lower level Shenandoah Parking Garage
This exhibition features the work of thirty-one artists encompassing veterans, family members, and caregivers. The veterans were all on active duty during the post-911 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Through painting, handmade paper, sculpture, photography, poetry, weaving, glass, video, mixed media, and architecture, these artists offer insights into ways creativity, artistry, and reflection shape personal transformation for veterans and their loved ones–and for the audience.
The exhibition tells a story of transformation—of warriors who have put down their weapons and picked up tools of creativity: paintbrushes, looms, paper pulp, cameras, and pens. Through these and other tools, they navigate life after service, process trauma, and build bridges back to themselves, their families, and to society.
About the Curator
CAPT (Ret) Moira G. McGuire was a nurse officer with the U.S. Public Health Service with more than three decades of leadership in federal healthcare systems, integrative wellness programs, and national public health initiatives. She was Program Manager for Warrior Clinic at Walter Reed Bethesda from 2010-2014, coordinating care for combat-injured service members. She established the Arts in Health Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the first of its kind within the Military Health System. She is an adjunct professor in Mason’s Arts Management program, having taught alongside Professor Niyati Dhokai, Director of Mason’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative.
Exhibition Content Advisory
This exhibition includes depictions and accounts of war-related injury, trauma, disability, and grief. Some materials may be emotionally difficult or distressing.
Visitor discretion is advised. Please take the time and space you need; support resources are available from museum staff upon request or contact University Life Counseling and Psychological Services at 703-993-2380 or visit their website at - Counseling and Psychological Services.
Installation Photos forthcoming
Veterans’ Statistics
U.S. veterans 17.3 million
Post-9/11 veterans 4.4 million
Women veterans 700,000
Combat-injured veterans treated in post-9/11 wars approx. 20,000
Combat-related amputees post-9/11 approx. 3,000
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 556,000
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 440-800,000
Veterans experiencing Military Sexual Trauma (MST) 300,000 to 400,000
Veteran suicides 30,177
Veterans without stable housing 35,574
Veterans incarcerated 49,000
Veterans attending George Mason University 5,600
Military-Affiliated and Veteran Support Services:
Military-Affiliated and Veteran Students - Counseling and Psychological Services