In war, personal accounts of children are often unseen and unheard.

In his photo exhibit “War-Toys: Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Strip,” Brian McCarty interprets children’s drawings to offer insight into the experiences of Israeli and Palestinian children affected by war.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Art Gallery will host the exhibit Sept. 1 to Oct. 20 in UALR Art Gallery 1.

A lecture and reception for McCarty, an internationally exhibited artist and toy industry veteran, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the UALR Fine Arts Building.

The Arkansas Women’s Actions for New Directions is a co-sponsor of the reception and lecture event. The event will be held during Arkansas Peace Week in observance of the United Nation’s International Day of Peace.

“The children and their families live in communities that have become war zone target,” said Brad Cushman, director of the UALR Art Gallery. “Brian McCarty challenges the viewer to think about a world at war and the impact it has on all of us especially the children. He recreates the children’s drawings using toys in the war zones landscapes where the children live.”  

In the exhibit, 18 reproductions of children’s drawings are presented alongside 22 of McCarty’s photographs. Featuring locally found toys placed and posed in the actual locations described by the children, the photographs recreate shared fears and witnessed events. In the process of sharing their artwork, children would often reveal the details that were most important or impactful to them.

The exhibit is curated by Catinca Tabacaru, founder of New York-based Tinca Art, Inc. She spent her early career working for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Office of Chief Defense Counsel for the Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

The UALR Art Gallery is located in the UALR Fine Arts Building and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning Sept. 10, the gallery also will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and 2-5 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information, visit the exhibit’s website or contact Brad Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977.

About Arkansas WAND

Arkansas WAND (Women’s Actions for New Directions) values the voices and leadership of women seeking peace, justice, and security through informed participation in the democratic process. WAND is comprised of women of all ages, races, and creeds, with voices that are fresh and eager as well as seasoned and knowing, working in communities across the nation, seeking a world that is peaceful and just.