Moving portraits and more – artifacts and firsthand accounts
from 65 Wisconsin veterans
MADISON, Wis. (February 5, 2026) – The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is debuting a powerful new exhibit, Portraits of Service: Wisconsin Warriors from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, opening Feb. 6, 2026.
The temporary exhibit will showcase the work of award-winning PBS photographer James Gill, who captured intimate portraits of Wisconsin veterans across the three major conflicts.
Gill’s portraits, captured between 2001 and 2008, were central to the Wisconsin PBS documentary series, War Stories, which brought the experiences of veterans into living rooms across the state. Now visitors will have the opportunity to experience these photographs in a new, immersive museum setting. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum has expanded on Gill’s original work by including personal artifacts as well as audio and visual interviews of veterans telling their stories. Together, these elements provide a deeper context and a more personal connection to the lives behind the portraits.
The exhibit is on view from Feb. 6 – Dec. 31, 2026.
