jmadmin – James Mellick Artwork

Wounded Warrior Dogs Project Returns to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2020

jmadmin — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Wounded Warrior Dogs Project will be on view with James Mellick’s new series, K9 War Stories, at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan from February 15 through May 10, 2020.

Retired Army Dog Handler Patrick Tutko Visits Jajo R620

jmadmin — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:13:52 +0000

Retired Army Dog Handler Patrick Tutko Visits Jajo R620

On July 30th, Jim Mellick joined retired Army Dog Handler Patrick Tutko at the War Dogs Exhibition at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Patrick and his wife Aubrey flew in from Parker, Colorado to see the sculpture of Jajo 620 for the first time. Jajo crossed over the Rainbow Bridge a few weeks earlier.
The story of the sacrifice of Cpl. Tutko and Jajo are told in the book “Giving Form to Honor and Sacrifice” by James Mellick. Serving in Afghanistan in 2012, Patrick and Jajo were targeted by an IED that was set off remotely. Both survived with extensive injuries. Patrick continues on the path to recovery.

War Dogs Art Exhibit at National Museum of the Marine Corps

jmadmin — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 07:45:22 +0000

Officially, dogs have served with Marines in battle since World War II. A new temporary exhibit War Dogs: Never Above You, Never Below You, Always Beside You at the National Museum of the Marine Corps spotlights and honors the important role these four-legged warriors serve.

Opening May 18, the exhibit combines sculptures by artist James Mellick with combat

art from the collections of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the United States

Coast Guard and the United States Navy, along with artifacts related to Marine Corps

working dogs. Mellick’s creations, carved from wood, are symbolic of the sacrifices

made by canine and human warriors alike.

“I am moved by the physical and emotional sacrifice by the men and women of the

United States military,” said Mellick. “Contemporary medical technology and triage in

the field has more veterans surviving with injuries that would have been fatal in previous

wars. In my limited and small way, I want to pay tribute to the soldiers who served with

great sacrifice by creating the sculptural allegory of wounded warrior dogs who were the

soldier’s best friend and companion in battle.”

James Mellick Artwork Currently On Display

The 28 pieces of combat art depict dogs at work around the globe from WWII in the

Pacific all the way to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Artifacts that tell specific stories

of Marine Corps dogs and handlers round out

Mellick’s Wounded Warrior Dogs Project and a new series titled K9 War Stories

(about the heroism and sacrifice of military K9 teams) are at the center of the War Dogs exhibit

that runs through September 30, 2019.

Wounded Warrior Dogs Project at this summer’s War Dogs Exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, VA. Art of military working dogs runs through September 30

Sculptor James Mellick and retired Marine Dog Handler Chris Willingham

jmadmin — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 02:43:33 +0000

Chris Willingham, Marine dog handler of “Top Dog” Lucca K458 in Iraq in 2007, attends the opening of the War Dog exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. Artist James Mellick meets Chris Willingham in front of the installation “Over the Rainbow Bridge”, the story of the friendship of two dogs, Lucca K458 and Cooper K154 that traveled up their leashes to their handlers Army Handler, Kory D. Wiens and Marine Handler Chris Willingham. Cpl. Kory D. Wiens and Cooper K154 were the first K9 team killed in the Global War on Terror.