Well, we should never forget our troops and veterans, especially during the holidays. An unlikely story of patriotism has brought men together through art, and now they are working together to increase awareness PTSD. Summer Jackson takes us to the Booth Museum in Cartersville, Georgia for the story.
Original article on Criticalmention.com
November 22, 2018
Transcript of Interview:
We should never forget our troops and veterans especially during the holidays. An unlikely story of patriotism has brought men together through art.
And now they are working together to increase awareness of PTSD. Summer Jackson takes us to the Booth Museum in Cartersville, Georgia for the story.
How are you doing, brother?
So wonderful.
It’s a heartfelt yet unlikely meeting sparked by the patriotism of two men from two different worlds united by art at the booth museum in Cartersville, Georgia.
The connection with Harry was instantaneous.
It started with one world renowned painters Ross Rossin’s most powerful pieces. a spectacular 13 by 20 canvas oil painting of the 20th century presidents of the united states from McKinley to Clinton. Rossin who became a citizen on 9/11 calls this painting his love letter to America.
I call this painting my love letter to America because, for me, this is still a land of dreams and opportunities. but dreams and opportunities that didn’t happen overnight. that take effort and struggle and passion and sacrifice to make it happen.
Rossin immigrated to the u.s. from Bulgaria in 2001. he has been commissioned to paint more than 650 portraits. four of his works reside in the Smithsonian’s national portrait gallery’s permanent collection. but it is his love letter to America that captivated Harry Patterson. He was so moved that he bought the portrait.
When it runs the museum here, he told us the story about Rossin and his passion before he every came to the united states of America to have this dream in his head and in his mind to paint our 20th Century Presidents. so as i just kept looking and looking, this is just unbelievable.
Now Patterson, a Wichita Falls philanthropist, businessman and Vietnam veteran who suffers from ptsd has just commissioned Rossin to paint two more huge canvases to complete the presidential portrait.
There’s nothing like it in the world that we have here in the world here in the United States of America and the freedom that we have and the democracy we have.
When the two additional canvases are finished in 2020, Patterson plans to take the artwork on a road show across America to inspire Americans and raise awareness about… View full article >>