Join us for the closing ceremony of Above & Beyond, an extraordinary installation that honors the American lives lost in Vietnam. As Veteran artists, Gold Star families, and community members we will honor these lives and the power of art to preserve memory.
Saturday, November 1, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Harold Washington Library Center, 3rd Floor
This ceremony marks your final chance to experience one of the most moving war memorials ever created before its deinstallation at the end of this year. Created through an unprecedented collaboration between veteran artists, the National Veterans Art Museum, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, and the Harold Washington Library Center, Above & Beyond offers visitors the chance to scroll through memorabilia that contextualize the conflict while surrounded by the names of those who never returned.
Each dog tag was hand-stamped over two years using an authentic military Graphotype machine and arranged chronologically by date of death. Suspended from the ceiling, these tags have transformed the 3rd Floor entryway of the Harold Washington Library Center into a sanctuary of remembrance. Visitors are encouraged to join us before this exhibition is deinstalled in December 2025.