Huntsville, Ala. – A highly-anticipated exhibition opens at the Huntsville Museum of Art (HMA) on Sunday, March 25 – Duty, Honor, Country: Highlights from the West Point Museum Collection. Presented by PNC Bank, the exhibition will be on view through July 8, 2018.

“Huntsville’s legacy in supporting and protecting our military makes this exhibition supremely meaningful for our community,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “It is a collector’s journey through the history of the minds and material behind the defense of our country.”

Duty, Honor, Country: Highlights from the West Point Museum Collection is organized by the Huntsville Museum of Art and presents objects hand-selected by HMA curators that encompasses the history of the United States Military Academy at West Point, the military history of the United States Army, and the history of warfare.

“Huntsville is a military town and is filled with many residents who are interested in the history of our country,” commented HMA Director of Curatorial Affairs Peter Baldaia. “The West Point Museum houses the oldest and largest diversified collection of militaria in the Western Hemisphere, and Duty, Honor, Country: Highlights from the West Point Museum Collection will tell the story of this fabled military academy and its important contributions to American history through a display of historical artifacts that relate to famous graduates of West Point.”

Highlights include stunning 19th century landscape panoramas of the West Point area and portraits of prominent West Point graduates; various cadet rifles and swords representing different eras in the Academy’s history; war trophies including a British howitzer captured during the Revolutionary War and a Confederate torpedo from the Civil War. Also included are historical artifacts associated with West Point, including a commission letter signed by Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee’s sketch of a cadet cap, Ulysses S. Grant’s Academy diploma, and General Patton’s cadet dress coat.

“At West Point, we have a saying,” remarked West Point Museum Executive Director David M. Reel. “Much of the history we teach, was made by people we taught.” In looking at the material culture of West Point, the artifacts speak volumes. They represent the men and women who are developed as leaders of character for the defense of our Nation, and in many situations, were at the cross-roads of change within our society for over 200 years. These artifacts represent the artists, engineers, warriors and scholars of the United States of America, all connected by a common thread; West Point.”

Bringing Duty, Honor, Country: Highlights from the West Point Museum Collection to HMA and to the entire Tennessee Valley region would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors. The lead sponsor for this exhibition is PNC Bank.

“PNC has a long history of supporting the arts and our military service members in the communities we serve,” said Nick Willis, PNC regional president of Greater Alabama. “With this HMA exhibit, we are providing an opportunity for the community to experience a compelling exhibit that honors the traditions of one of the nation’s most esteemed military institutions.”

For information about current and upcoming exhibitions at HMA, visit www.hsvmuseum.org.

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Lead Sponsor: PNC Bank
Exhibition Sponsors: The Boeing Company; The Jurenko Foundation; SAIC; Bullet and Barrel; Lockheed Martin; Science & Engineering Services; Jean Wessel Templeton; BB&T; Kathy and C.H. ‘Tony’ Chan; Iron Mountain Solutions; The Honorable Loretta Spencer; William H. Stender, Jr.; Raytheon Company; Aerojet Rocketdyne; and Keel Point – Thomas O’Connor, CFP®
Media Sponsor: WAFF 48 News
Additional Support Provided By: The Alabama State Council on the Arts; Altherr Howard Design; The Huntsville Museum of Art Guild

About the Huntsville Museum of Art
The Huntsville Museum of Art is a non-profit municipal corporation established by the City of Huntsville, Alabama, and governed by a city-appointed Museum Board. The Museum seeks to foster understanding of the visual arts and appreciation of artistic achievement. In addition to its galleries and exhibitions, the Museum
offers art classes for children and adults along with special programs, lectures and musical presentations. Rental space is also available for weddings, meetings and other events.

About PNC Bank
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.