The National Naval Aviation Museum on board Naval Air Station Pensacola is pleased to announce the opening of a temporary exhibit on loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Sponsored by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the traveling art exhibition “The U.S. Marine Corps Air-Ground Team” will be on display through the end of 2026.
Appropriately positioned near a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter flown in combat during the Global War on Terror, the exhibition features 32 works by 21 artists, including Howard Chandler Christy, Mike Gish, Henry Casselli, Donna Neary and Charles Waterhouse. Many of the artists wore the Marine Corps uniform. For example, Waterhouse received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered on Iwo Jima, later becoming the Marine Corps’ artist-in-residence.
“Since 1stLt Alfred Cunningham, USMC, reported for flight training in 1912, the Marine Corps has been an integral part of Naval Aviation,” said Museum Director CAPT Sterling Gilliam, USN (Ret.). “This exhibit brings seminal moments of that storied history to life on canvas from both human and technological perspectives.”
The Marine Corps Combat Art Program relies on talented Marines and civilians to document the ongoing missions of the Corps. The guidance they get is simple: “Go to war and do art.” The works of art speak to the experiences of the artists, most of whom were deployed around the globe. The show is divided among five themes: origins of Marine Corps aviation, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and today’s global force in readiness.
“Marine Corps art is up close and personal. It is about the individual Marine — in combat, during training, or while delivering assistance during times of great need,” said Lin Ezell, Curator Emeritus of the Marine Corps. “This art helps us better appreciate those who wear the uniform of today’s military service members.”
“The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation is pleased to sponsor this exhibition,” said Major General James W. Lukeman, USMC (Ret.), who serves as President and CEO of MCHF. “Not everyone is able to travel to the National Museum of the Marine Corps to see its treasures. This program enables us to share Marine Corps history — and its art — more widely.”
Visitors can view this amazing exhibit in the museum’s Hangar Bay One through the end of the year.
About the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The National Museum of the Marine Corps opened in 2006. Its soaring design evokes the WWII image of the flag-raisers on Iwo Jima. Immersive exhibits surround visitors with the artifacts, sights, and sounds of Marines in action. The Museum is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Located at 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Triangle, VA, the Museum is open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.usmcmuseum.com.
About the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of Marine Corps history, the Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps. It provides grants for research and the preservation, restoration, and commissioning of Marine Corps art, artifacts, and landmarks. Having secured funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center, the Foundation’s current mission is to seek support that will strengthen programming at the Museum and beyond its walls. For more information, visit www.MarineHeritage.org.
About the National Naval Aviation Museum. Opened in June 1963, the National Naval Aviation Museum is the third largest aviation museum in the world and the Navy’s official museum for preserving the history and heritage of Naval Aviation. It is location on board NAS Pensacola, FL, and is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM except for Thanksgiving, Christmas,
