The anti-war movement has many aspects, and it is “not just protesting, not just debating, but it’s art; it’s poetry,” senior English major Stephanie Gentry said.

Gentry, a member of the Kent State Anti-War Committee, said this was the basis for the anti-war art exhibit put on Monday and Tuesday in the student center by the KSAWC and the May 4 Task Force.

The KSAWC began preparing for the exhibit in January, asking local artists both to submit pre-existing works as well as to create new projects specifically for the exhibit.

Ranging from photo illustrations to oil recess prints to paintings, the 16 original works that were displayed for the two-day event were mostly by Kent State students, Gentry said.

Other works were from local artists including Kent artist Vince Packard, whom Gentry said often does anti-war themed works and has had work displayed in several galleries.

Though she said it was hard for the committee to tell exactly how many people made their way through the paintings as there were not always members at the KSAWC’s table, Gentry said the exhibit was a success. The event was promoted both on campus and in the community.

Gentry said she hopes the exhibit will provide “a realization on how important this is to so many people” to its viewers.

This is the first year the anti-war committee and the task force have put on an art show, and “hopefully the last,” Gentry said.

Contact news correspondent Tyrel Linkhorn at [email protected].