Veteran Obsolete: Geoffrey Bowton

John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center June 13, 2026

EXHIBITION: August 11 - December 4, 2026
RECEPTION: Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 5-7 PM

Three green military-style helmets mounted on thin stands against a dark background. The helmets show progressive damage from left to right: the first appears mostly intact, while the middle and right helmets have visible holes, cracks, and rough, worn surfaces, with some areas stitched or patched. Each helmet has a chin strap hanging below, and the textured surfaces suggest weathering or decay.

Geoffrey Bowton, Contagion Effect: the soldier series, 2020, glass, steel, copper, found objects, 26 x 44 x 12 inches. Image courtesy of the artist. © Geoffrey Bowton.

Veteran Obsolete provides a reflective space for visitors to confront the challenges and emotional burdens that many military veterans endure. Featuring glass sculptures by Geoffrey Bowton, a U.S. Army Sergeant and resident artist at Penland School of Craft, this exhibition draws upon Bowton’s own experiences with combat deployments to illuminate the often-hidden aftermath faced by veterans re-entering civilian life. Through the symbolic use of military gear, he ushers viewers into the complex landscape of post-service reality: depression, suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the unresolved echoes of armed conflict. This exhibition stands as both a tribute to resilience and a call for greater awareness of the physical, emotional, and psychological toll of military service.

This exhibition was organized by the artist, Geoffrey Bowton, and presented by the WCU Fine Art Museum.

About Geoffrey Bowton

Studio image of Geoffrey Bowton, Portland, Oregon, 2023. © Geoffrey Bowton

Geoffrey R. Bowton is a U.S. Army sergeant and combat veteran whose practice explores war, post-traumatic stress, and mental wellness through glass and mixed media. Drawing on his deployment experiences in the Middle East, he transforms military objects into sculptural forms that hold personal memory while opening onto broader histories of service and conflict. Glass casting plays a central role in this process, functioning not only as an artistic method but also as a means of working through trauma and reshaping lived experience into material form.

At the center of Bowton’s work is the tension between the hardness of military experience and the delicacy of glass. By recasting utilitarian objects associated with service into contemplative forms, he shifts the visual language of war away from function and toward vulnerability, memory, and care. The result is a body of work that invites viewers to consider not only the material residue of conflict, but also its lasting psychological and emotional effects.

Reception Details
The reception for Veteran Obsolete: Geoffrey Bowton will take place on Thursday, September 10, 2026, from 5:00-7:00 PM at the WCU Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, NC. This event will include a gallery talk by Geoffrey Bowton, light appetizers, and beverages. Free parking is available.

Museum Hours
WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. Standard Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM-4 PM, and Thursday, 10 AM-7 PM. If you have any questions, please call (828)227-ARTS.

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