The Chicago Vietnam Veterans Art Museum traveling exhibit The Things We Carried is in the area courtesy of the State University of New York Healing Arts Program, “Peak Performance While Facing Life’s Challenges.” The exhibition has been coordinated by Dr. Sandra Vedovato, a psychologist working in the Dunkirk/Fredonia area, along with commander of the American Legion, John Miga, and SUNY Fredonia. Local artists involved in the project include Ralph Sirianni, creative arts therapist at the Buffalo Vietnam Veterans Administration Hospital and courtroom/police sketch artist, and Robert Holland, a military psychological specialist and fellow Vietnam veteran. The show, which will remain on view until Dec. 13, culminates today, on Pearl Harbor Day, with a “Missing Soldier’s Ceremony: Tributes and Memorials,” presented by the Chautauqua Veterans Service Agency. This exhibit is named for the book The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, a tactile, autobiographical account of the author’s Vietnam experience. Programs at both SUNY Fredonia and Brockport offer an interdisciplinary approach to learning about the Vietnam war, whereby students read the book and experience the exhibit as part of the course. Though Dunkirk is somewhat of a trek, this thoughtful tribute is worth the trip—if not for the Pearl Harbor Day event (with its “K-Ration vs. Mom’s Apple Pie” reception) then for a look at this national show before it moves on. After all, Dunkirk is far closer than Chicago—or Fredonia, for that matter

Thursday, December 7 at 5-8pm. Adams Art Gallery, 600 Central Ave., Dunkirk (366-7450). Tue & Wed 12-5pm; Thurs & Fri 12-6pm; Sat 11am-4pm; Sun 1-5pm.