behind the artwork

Ehren Tool, a big, burly guy, enlisted as a Marine in 1991. His grandfather, a World War II veteran, said, “They are going to take your soul.” And his father, a Vietnam veteran, warned that the images of war would haunt him forever. Five years later, with a combat action ribbon and a seven-month Gulf War tour behind him, Ehren finally understood what the two older generations meant. “Once a person witnesses a war,” he says, “they are changed.”

To cope with the haunting memories, Ehren, like so many other vets, started drinking. But after a long battle with alcohol, he earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. While at school, he learned how to make ceramic cups, which changed the trajectory of his life. The process of making the cups and decorating them with images of war helped him manage his PTSD. These hand-crafted pieces also provided a way for others to understand the effects of war.

After learning about his work, I emailed Ehren and asked him for twenty-two ceramic cups, to represent the average number of veteran suicides per day in the United States. Ehren kindly responded and donated the ceramic cups to display at the Voices project for ArtPrize, an annual art event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the close of the exhibit, each participating veteran artist will receive one of these cups as a way to thank them for their service.

While Ehren searched for relief from the memories of war, the simple, clay cups gave him a way to express his feelings and articulate the trauma. He says, “I originally made the cups to be touchstones about unspeakable things. To connect vets with their own families.” But the war-themed stoneware also helped him to work through the grief and suffering following his combat experience. Alcohol helped to mask the painful memories, but in making the cups, Ehren finally discovered a healthy avenue for his recovery and a renewed sense of hope.

After he started making his art, individuals, like me, wrote him to ask for a cup. So, Ehren constantly boxes up cups to mail across the country. “Clay is cheap. It’s just dirt. It’s just a fraction of what I used to spend on alcohol,” he says. For him, the cups became “the best antidote to depression, addiction, and so much of what we individually struggle with.” Since 2001, Ehren has given away more than 21,000 cups, and he has shown his work at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The Voices Project at ArtPrize
September 15 to October 2, 2022
Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, The Home Depot, PlexiCase Inc., Moonlight Graphics Inc., Frames Unlimited, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.

Lead Patriot Guard Rider, Mike Myers, wore several hats throughout his military career. He started as an artilleryman, transitioned to a wheeled vehicle mechanic, and later served as a medic. Following his honorable discharge, he worked in retail and eventually managed more than a dozen Target stores throughout Michigan. Earlier this spring, I contacted Mike and asked him if he wanted to help organize a Patriot Guard Riders art exhibit for ArtPrize, an international art event held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After some thought, he agreed to participate and decided to title the work, “SOS: Stories of Service.”

To create this community-based project, we organized two workshops, one at a local studio, and the other at Michigan Home for Veterans in Grand Rapids. Both workshops quickly filled up with veterans ready to decorate motorcycle helmets. To prepare for the project, Patriot Guard Riders from Detroit, northern Michigan, and all the way to Arizona, donated old helmets. We also gathered stickers, patches, green plastic soldiers, and an assortment of treasures found in junk drawers to be glued onto the helmets.

Later, to describe the work, Mike wrote:

“We asked veterans and their families to tell their Stories Of Service on motorcycle helmets to give a creative glimpse of their time in uniform. Many found the process to be cathartic and, at the same time, exciting. Several helmets display words like ‘honor,’ ‘duty,’ ‘brotherhood,’ and ‘team’ on one side. But the other side portrays much darker words like ‘war,’ ‘death,’ and ‘loss,’ or the names of their fallen friends. Throughout history, waves of patriotism come and go through this great land. World War II soldiers came home as heroes. With the turbulent waters of Vietnam, warriors returned quietly. Following 9/11, another patriotic wave flowed through the United States. But as the Gulf War dragged on, the country became less exuberant. Regardless of when you served, we want to say, ‘Thank you for your service! Thank you for putting on your uniform and taking that oath! Thank you for telling your story for SOS. God bless you.’”

SOS: Stories of Service is proudly displayed at Veterans Memorial Park as part of the Voices project. We also want to express gratitude to all the veterans who shared their healing stories on the helmets. Thanks so much for your participation.

The Voices Project at ArtPrize
September 15 to October 2, 2022
Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan

A special thanks to Kent County Veterans Services, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, The Home Depot, PlexiCase Inc., Moonlight Graphics Inc., Frames Unlimited, and Healing in Arts for making this collaboration of veteran stories possible.