Motivated by honest conversations and a belief that everyone and everything has a story,
Yvette M. Pino harnesses her ability to artistically interpret these narratives. While deployed to
Iraq in 2003 with the 101st Airborne Division, she was tasked to paint murals and was coined
the unofficial “Division Artist.” Painting in the field often encouraged discussions between artist
and audience and would fundamentally influence Ms. Pino’s creation of The Veteran Print
Project. Over the last 10 years, the Veteran Print Project has paired more than 100 veterans
with artists to exchange a dialogue that resulted in an edition of prints based on the veteran’s
story. The artwork has been exhibited nationally and has been recognized by NPR’s “All Things
Considered, and has been licensed by ABC Studios for use in television stage sets.
Pino worked for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum as the Curator of Veteran Art and furthered the museum’s mission by placing artwork into the galleries that evoked a visceral response and demonstrated the resilience of the creative spirit. She researches artists who served in the military and the investigation of “veteran as artist” has revealed the impact of that experience on the artist’s oeuvre. It has gleaned an extensive record of veterans who not only created powerful bodies of work when returning home but also built the foundations of monumental art programs across the United States and globally.
Yvette M. Pino earned her BFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and received a
Certificate in Museum Studies from Northwestern University. She was a National Endowment
for the Humanities Curatorial Fellow for the 2019 National Veteran Art Museum Triennial and
Veteran Art Summit. Pino served on the Madison Arts Commission From 2013-2021 and is the
Curator of Veteran Art for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison, Wisconsin where she
recently curated artwork for the award-winning historic renovation of the Milwaukee Soldiers
Home by the Alexander Company.