Walt Disney World Resort will unveil a new art exhibit on Sunday honoring U.S. service members painted by former President George W. Bush.
The Walt Disney Company announced last month it would be hosting “Portraits of Courage: A Commander’s Tribute to America‘s Warriors,” beginning June 9, for a 12-month exhibition inside the American Adventure pavilion at EPCOT.
“It’s an honor for Disney to host the Portraits of Courage collection in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the military heroes portrayed in these paintings,” Jackie Herrera, a producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, told the Washington Examiner. “We look forward to sharing them with our guests.”
The exhibit includes more than 60 oil paintings from the former president; he wrote an accompanying story about each veteran depicted in the paintings, and a four-panel mural.
“We are thrilled Portraits of Courage will be on display for EPCOT visitors to experience this year,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “My hope is that those who have the opportunity to see this special exhibit will also remember the leadership, service, and sacrifice behind each of the heroes painted and the unique challenges our servicemembers and their families face when transitioning out of the military.”
EPCOT’s display will also include resources to support veterans and their families, including one that allows them to easily connect to no-cost, high-quality mental and brain health care.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The president’s artwork has been featured in several exhibits in recent years all over the United States.
The series of paintings focuses on service members since Sept. 11, 2001, during a period of two Middle East wars that began under Bush’s administration following the devastating terrorist attacks in New York City. More than 7,000 U.S. service members have died in the post-9/11 era, and four times as many have died by suicide than in combat, representing a widespread mental health crisis, according to Brown University’s Costs of War Project.