Photos: Chicago Museum Acquires Surreal Kurt Vonnegut Screen Prints For Collection

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 11, 2017 7:25PM

Legendary author Kurt Vonnegut's literary reputation precedes him, of course, as author of frequently formative classics like Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle. But the Indiana native was a prolific visual artists as well; and a museum here in Chicago just landed a major collection of his work. The National Veterans Art Museum announced on Wednesday their acquisition of 31 screen-print works, which are currently on view as part of the museum's Vonnegut exhibition.

Not unlike his literature, Vonnegut's art was heavily informed by his experiences as a World War II serviceman in Europe. The pieces—which sport a simultaneous flair for the abstract and figurative—join the NVAM's permanent collection of some 2,500 works. "The Vonnegut collection is a pivotal acquisition that illustrates both the ubiquitous nature of the veteran experience and the world-class quality of National Veterans Art Museum’s collection and exhibitions," said Brendan Foster, NVAM Executive Director, in a press release.

The museum's current retrospective of Vonnegut's visual art, called Vonnegut's Odyssey, is on display now through May 6, 2017. The National Veterans Art Museum is located at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.